Marmara Elt Resources

Visual Brainstorming
When traditional thinking has become stale or dried up, visual brainstorming using graphic ideation may be a useful alternative
Idea Generation Phase, set a high target: e.g. to generate 20-30 basic idea-sketches on a specific problem in 1hr. If in groups you could begin with private sketches which you then pool, perhaps a round robin. Quick, impulsive ideas put into sketch can help to avoid undeveloped ‘lost’ thoughts/ideas. Rapid response to an idea with an immediate sketch creates momentum, preventing any critical thought processes to intervene.

Evaluation Phase, With a collection of sketched ideas, they can now be evaluated.

1. Present your idea-sketches, trying to observe them with as much imagination as possible
2. Think of yourself as a critic, so looking at them from another perspective
3. Rotate the sketches, place images on images, cover top of bottom half, these varying tactics may inspire yet another idea
4. Comparison. Clustering all the sketches together, place complex ones with simplistic ones, make comparisons, more ideas could be generated at this stage.
5. Log all the ideas that come to mind throughout the session, using different coloured pens to denote initial ideas, continuing ideas and then final more paramount ideas.

Learning any new language is always a long and hard process. But there are little tips and tricks that can help along the way. With a little effort and dedication, learning a new language can become fun and exciting. Here are a few hints that will help a beginner in learning English.

Tip #1: Use what you learn. This, more than anything else, is going to help a person learn English quickly and with accuracy. It also helps to learn first those words you can use often. A student should start to notice which words they use most often and learn how to say them in English.

Tip #2: Work with others. Learning English by oneself can be a trying ordeal. Learning English with a friend can be fun and exciting. Two friends learning together can remind each other to use what they have learned and correct each other when they make mistakes.

Tip #3: Learn songs. If someone were asked to remember what their mother said to them at their childhood bedside, they probably wouldn’t be able to say. However, if someone were asked to sing a song that their mother sang to them at that same bedside, they could sing it back without missing a word. The human brain remembers song a lot better than it remembers straight words. Singing English songs can help with improving accent and remembering how words go together. Read the rest of this entry »

What is brainstorming?
Brainstorming can be an effective way to generate lots of ideas on a specific issue and then determine which idea – or ideas – is the best solution. Brainstorming is most effective with groups of 8-12 people and should be performed in a relaxed environment. If participants feel free to relax and joke around, they’ll stretch their minds further and therefore produce more creative ideas.

A brainstorming session requires a facilitator, a brainstorming space and something on which to write ideas, such as a white-board a flip chart or software tool. The facilitator’s responsibilities include guiding the session, encouraging participation and writing ideas down.

Brainstorming works best with a varied group of people. Participants should come from various departments across the organisation and have different backgrounds. Even in specialist areas, outsiders can bring fresh ideas that can inspire the experts.

There are numerous approaches to brainstorming, but the traditional approach is generally the most effective because it is the most energetic and openly collaborative, allowing participants to build on each others’ ideas.

Creativity exercises, relaxation exercises or other fun activities before the session can help participants relax their minds so that they will be more creative during the brainstorming session.
Read the rest of this entry »

Teaching young learners can be extremely rewarding. A wide range of games and fun activities have long been standard classroom procedure with young learners at primary and early secondary level. We usually make extensive use of visual stimuli, total physical response, songs, chants, rhymes, etc. The material content consists for the most part of basic word fields and standard structures in the form of phrases which enable learners to talk about themselves, ask simple questions or make basic statements about their environment. We provide learners with an immediately accessible pool of language, upon which they can draw without a lot of effort.
Read the rest of this entry »