Blackboard Drawings and Stick Figures

Abstract

Keeping students active and interested during the English lesson is a problem for most teachers in our primary schools. The use of sound language techniques such as oral drills, dialogues, songs, games, and written exercises considerably helps to ease the problem. So do visual aids. One of the most effective and versatile means of stimulating students to express themselves in both oral and written work is the use of simple blackboard drawings and stick figures. A teacher can draw houses, trees, aeroplanes, boats, animals, and various types of objects by simply drawing their basic shapes and adding a few relevant details. By using a circle for the head and lines for the body and limbs, human figures can be shown engaged in a number of different activities — walking, running, climbing, playing, and so on. Blackboard drawings and stick figures need not be artistic or complicated. As long as they arouse interest and stimulate students to speak, read, or write English, they serve their purpose in the English lesson.