Thursday, April 7, 2016

Learning through the Mind and the Body - Report on Danny Singh's Session

Danny Singh started by explaining the title of his presentation. It refers to his one day, two day or weekend courses that he gives to either students or teachers all over Italy and in other countries in Europe. 

                                                                                       Photos by Elpiniki Meimaroglou

He then went on to say how the use of all the senses, the use of emotions, humour and body movement are greatly involved in learning through the Body and the Mind. All of them are completely focus on all the skills, reading, writing, listening which are the basic factors in practising and getting familiar with a language. They also aid by improving pronunciation and increasing vocabulary.

Is it possible for you to go out and mingle with foreigners, selecting randomly places of their interest? If yes, then it is highly recommended by Mr. Singh and that appeals to both the teachers and their learners. Talking to people you do not know is an excellent way of exploring new language and enables you to use every day English in a more efficiently. Pick up different pictures, listen to music, dance, watch videos or anything that can stimulate the Body and then be reflected into the Mind which in turn aids the potential learner to remember information more easily.

His session went on by outlining a series of practical activities ready to assist the teacher and use them in the classroom and outside in order to facilitate memory, making learning a far easier proposition for the learner. But how these activities can help? They surely help a lot as they deal with the four main skills required by those students following exams on their grammar, reading, writing, speaking and listening.

                                                                                                                   Photos by Elpiniki Meimaroglou

He afterwards suggested to take our students out of their comfort zone. As an anti-course book teacher himself, he clearly pointed out how important is to teach them in a more pleasant yet effective way. He added that we sometimes have to go upstream in order to find the path and adjust it to every student's learning ability which indeed is the most demanding task to do. 

Have you ever heard about the massage mathematics? verbs stretching or grammar massage? (this activity can be easily done by writing a word at one's back while the other one tries to figure it out). All of the mentioned ones were fully as well as lively demonstrated which made the attendants being completely carried away realizing that total physical response is not only joyful but enables information to be stored in Mind. 


                                                                                                                  Photos by  Elpiniki Meimaroglou

Mr. Singh continuing his lively and full of creativity presentation gave the audience numerous hands-on activities which can be immediately implemented by the teacher in and out of the classroom. Firstly, he kindly requested us to stand up, make a circle and participate. Within a few seconds the room was filled with smiling faces and loud, rejuvenating laughs. We started with the welcome laugh (facing each other laughing out loud shaking hands) then we did the milkshake laughter in 3 versions, the classic, the intolerance, the jokey and lastly the mussel laugh. We could not stop asking from Mr Singh for more as we found it useful, effective and with lots lots of joy.

If you wish to find out more about what these activities are and how you can put them in action visit Mr Danny Singh website www.laughnlearn.net


Report by Dimitra Christopoulou




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