/

16 Visualization: language 'earning with

the mind's eye
Jane Amo!d
Introduction
If someOne tells us not 10 about Little Red Ricfinghoocf, no mattcr
what, the first thing that proha hly comes to mind is a mentnl pictllre of
,] little girl dressed in red. If we nrc asked to describe ollr kitchen, in
ordcr to answer we almost n:llainly form a mental image. If, after
seeing a fillll, we cOlllment that the book is better, it Illay ill part be due
to the greater scope of the written version, but it is also very likely going
to be because ,I:; we read the novcl, we form Illental images that satisfy
us much more than the images we sec on the screen. In this chapter we
will be looking at the role that these pictures in our mind can play in the
second language learning process. Since our brains cannot deal with all
the countiess stimuli coming in from the sellSes, for Ic,uning to OCCllr
salience is il11portant; we learn hetter that which attracts our attention,
and el1lotion automatically makes liS pay attention. tvIelltal images arc
strongly -connected to the emotional side of life and thus can help to
achieve learner engagement alld greater assimilation of the language.
What; :ue mental images?
Stevick defincs il/ta,(!:e ,IS ',I cOlllposite that we perceive (l1Jore or less
vividly) as a re'lilt of the illlcraLtiOIl betwcen what we havc in stowge
<llld wh:Jt is going on ,11 the InOIlll'11t' ([9 g(':J6). Thc process of formillg
l11elltal il11ages is oftcll IIIIUIllscioIlS, althollgh it can be guided and
p;(rtiall)1 dOI11C'sricltcd. As 1 shall be Ilsing the terlll here, visllalization
refns to 11ll'IH,rI iIILI!:l" called "I' for sonic JlIlr[Jose. It is seeing with whM
is slll11ctinll's cllkd thl' '1IIil1ll's eye', Cfe;1ting pictllfes in the mind, rather
ghost-like il1l'lf'CS which \I'L' kllow cxist but wc cannot say exactly how or
where. It sholiid hc nOled. ho\\'el'er, that images, while very often of a
prcd
o
l11ina!lrly ViSll:llll.1fllrl, 111'1)' he ;Issoci;](cd with all sensory modes.
N,:l1ro/('!,:S[ AlltClnill n .lm;lsio kls poilHed Ollt rhat the nelll'al basis of
LIlO
I (i Vis {/{/liz. 11 icJII: LlII!;/ld}.;C /e,m/iug with tile milld's eye
knowledge is dcpclldeilU Oil im'lge furlllat " Jll, which SCl:Il1S to occur not
in one p:lrriCIII;l[ site ill the hr;lin hur r,ltllcr ill a parccll;]ted manner in
differcilt nemal locilil1JlS. (Ie st,iles [hat 'ilong with the extcmal
responsl'S kllown ;IS heluviollr, Cllillplcx orgallisllIs, Stich ;]s that which
is consti til tcd by Oil l' hr;1 i n ,lIld hud)', '<llsll genera tc i Ilterna I rcspOllses,
sOllie of which consri [lile i II),I);(,S (vi sua I, a Ildit ory, soma toscnsoJ'Y, and
so which I po>tui:1fl' as thc h,lsis for Illiild'; thlls an esselltial
condition (or l1lind is 'Ihe 'Ihility to dispLJ)' images internally <lnd tll
order those images in process calkd tllought' (1994:89-90). In a
similar ll1;]nner Ralph Ellis (199)) nOll'S how thinking is huilt up
combinations of imagl's in differcnl l11od.t!itics and p,lttcrns, and, in this
way, ill1'lgcry is a 1110re [',Isic evcnt dun thinking and can luvc a
significlIlt influence on rcasoning.
The importance, then, of ill1:lgcs for our mCilt,11 processcs not
bc underestimatcd. Thcy help 115 l11akc scnse of and organize incnming
data; thcy .provide liS wilh W;I)'S 10 reason and l1lake decisions and to
selcct or develop a l11olor (J)'lInasio 1995:93). \Yjhatcvcr
l11ental activity wc have going Oil, IlIcnt,11 images arc certain to
particip;1Ic to sOl1le extcnt. The)' 'liT not bound hy tilrtc and so may be
of l,nOIl1Cnts in the past or of possihilities fur the futllre.
Etymologically, there is an iminJ;1tc COl1ncction bctwcen knowing and
seeing. As Arcndt poillts out, the Crcek word for 'to know' Il1C:lllS 'to
have scen.' lIut this doc, not rder only tll secing with our 'olltcr' eycs;
seeing with the mind's eye, IIsing illl;]gination, is also involved. Shc
refers ro the csscnti'l.lit)' of il11agination: 'Rc-prcscnt,ltiol1, nuking
present wl1'11 is acw'llIy abscnt, is tk' mind's lIuilJlle gift, and dr,lwn
frol1l visioll's expericnce, this gift is called im,]gination' (1978:76).
Arendt underlines the usefulness of these inner illiages fur our cognitive
fllnctioning. II)' bringing Ihe exrcll1:1l m<lICiial frolll our scnses into the
terrain of ollr illl,]ginalion, we are abl e to utilize it; .... ollly in this
il11l11atcrial fmlll can ()ur thillking Lledt) now begin to concern itself
with these data' (197H:g7). /'
Tnfol'ln<ltion cOllling into 0111' cOl1sciollsness, including inforl1wtioll
about ,I second LlIlgllagc we arc learning, is processed by what Paivio
refers to ns a dll,Ji (,Ilcoding S)' stCIll cOl11posed tlf il11agery :1l111 vcrb;l!
codes. T. Rogers (19S,:2')O) has thar this basic model secms
incol11plete, for whell dC;lling with re;]1 world cOIIJitions, 'we find ali
increasing need to hegin to inject SOI11!' aspect of emotion into ou:
thcories'. \Xlhilc thnc is no connetl: cl11piric]1 evidcnce th;]! a separate
third code for el11Oli()n exisls, it is clL-ar tklt ('motion interacts with thc
illl<lgin;11 ;lIld verh,Ji codes. The LILt I hat cmotional traces :lIe coded
with and W(lltiS h,ls ill1por\,]nl implications for language
te;lchir: g (sec helow ;Ind Stevick Il)')() ;lIHll hls volume) .
. . I
3-;:7i1 '_- - - -
261
\
16 Visllalizatiol1: LrllIglI,/t;e /(, ,1millg IVitl) the lIIil/d's l'ye
i
J
Imagery and creativity in learning
(
','111' all have the ;Jhility to mental images . Children have this to a
greater as ther more ill1;lgina lion. Kosslyn (198)) points
out bow research suggests thaI youllg children rely strongly on imagery,
something which should he taken into account' in carly
educa tion. In fact, \X
1
hit mO;'e (I 91l G: 2 5) a (firms 'most lea rn i ng
occurs through im;lginilig is to be learned. Ii an individual C;lnnot
conceive of something in his nlind it Ill;]y be illlpossible for him to IC;]fIl
it in a lasting W;ly'. IIowever, most educational systems cater to the
logic;]l, analytical 'left hrain' :lnd lInwisely phase out the imaginal
clements vcry soon. 5til1lulation of the visualization ahilities res ident in
the milhl is generally offerce only to the youngest learner,;, if }, t all.
Giving so llluch emphasis to verbal thinking that ,;,'e deprive
learners of a valuable asset for their dcvelopment. Inactive, our natural
ability to use mental images and to develop our imagination greatly
declines with age, In our educational systems words and numbers have
pushed imagery 'Ollt of the picture', alld in the process much is lost.
'.Vhen llsed appropriately, im;lges can provide a strong impetus fo r
learning. One of the reasons (hat this is so is that they are related w
cIcati'.'!!.), and to o ur aillI [hcsc relationships can greatly
empower karning. Neviilc (191l9:93 '- 4) suggests that simple exercises
be used to retrain the in1:l;;iiling, 'which, like language, significantly
affects the child's ability to lean-" to develop peer ;lIld adult
ships, to pursue goals and te experiencc pleasure': Introduced in
lcaching progr,lilllrteS, these cXl'rciscs can hring henefits on diverse
levels; 'The children's improved concentration and ability to visualize
Jre a worthwhile goal in lhcm:dves. Besides that, they can be
for more effective teaching of the curriclilum'. (An exercise for devel
opi ng visuJlizatioll skills can fOlilld in Appendix A on page 277.)
ViwaEzation is invoived in d;t'), dreams ;lnd fantasy and, as such, in a
!eft-hrainvorld is subject to had press. As a gllided process, however,
work can provide SllllC,iH'C ;ind control for mental images,
kadillg to a reversal of the atrc,ilhicd scnse of creativity and imagination
p,'e3ent in nuny selllngs. \,\IC shouldn't forget that the
imaginal of experience is responsible for many of the 11l0st
important nrtistic, scientific tcchnologiFal discovcri(:s of history.
The best known perhaps is Einstein's visuali;:ation of himself riding a
beam of light which led him evcntually to iOrInubte the theory of
relativity. On one level his gellills could be explained by his ability to
use first the insights provided ;,y illl:lgcry and thm rational thinking to
develop Jild expbin the image,;:lt a later stage. He himself described his
process thus: 'The words of the language ... diu not seem to play any
262
16 VisllalizrlticJI/: I.Ol/gthtg(' 1I"llllil/g lI 'iih tiJe I/Iil/c/'s eye
role ill my mechani sm o( thought. The ps)'chlc';li L'1l 1,jlles which seem 10
serve as elements in thought are SlgiiS and Illore or less clear
image, which can be "voluntarily" 1'l'l'wdllccd ;lll d combined .. '
[These] clements arc, in my cnse, of visll;i\ and Sllnw d IlIUsntlar type'
(Chiselin 1952:43).
Cre;Hivity sprIngs frolll grc,ltcr depths than usual of our mind, fn)lll
areas alive with imnger)' which .lean 1101IS[OII (I 13,,)) rders 10
'inscapes', regions of inner space and inncr time; there, 'by tI,:!',king in
images, idc;ls emerge lh..,t nrl' otherwi se impossible'. She cites ;111
experiment in the [9205 in which children were specitically tJlIght to
usc imaging processes; yenrs later in their tcens they were 'llIore creative
and better able to draw. Also, Ihey scored hi gher on intelligence tests
than comparahle children whose illlagery was to llIeet the usual
fate of atrophy and inhibitioll imposed by educaliOlI;ll processes too
oriented to the verbal' (HoLlston 19112: Lf O). Some verhal capacities
themselves Illay be compromised by the lack of a well-developed
imaginal faculty; data suggest rhat those who have poor imaging ability
may process words analytically less effectivc\y than goud illlagers
(Allen, Wallace and Loschiavo 1994) . Campos aud Gonzalez (1995)
present research carried out in ther9905 which further supports the
idea that creativity is influenced significantiy by imaging
Like creativity, generalme\ltnl ability (as measured by IQ scores) has
been shown to increase through a visualization techniquc called image
streaming, developed by \X1enger. It consists of starting an 'image
stream' of free associations in yom mind and descrihing thclll aloud ro
sOIlleone or recording them. As several differcnt parts of your brain arc
being used together, a 'pole bridging' effect is produced, and at SOIlle
point creative discoveries or solutions to problems can be forthcoming.
(For further discussion, see !v1lll'phcy 199fL)
The use of visualization is becomillg more and more COlllmon in
areas of educational endeavor, whether in science, mathematics,
creative writing or second langllage learnillg. l\.[ajo)' ([993:64) predicts
that 'visualization will become one of the most powerful, effe(,tive, and
necessary tools for teachers in the years to come. I Iarnessing iI1ner space
will revolutionize teaching and lenrning .. , \Ve must use it as an
essential nnd basic teaching skill'.
Imagery and affect in language learning
In the language learning process there are significcHH connections
between in.ages and nffect. \)(lords are gener;ll1)' (:,lIcoded with ,ome type
of image, making them ensier to recall; ill formulation it is th'e
"I
---- -
-,
16 Visualizati()lI: Lllllguage leal'llillt; wit" the lIIilld's eye
imaginal representation t-hat contains the affective aspects. In their
extensive report on the hemispheric speci,llization of the brain, Springer
and Deutsch (] conclude thilt there is good reason to believe
that the right hemisphere is dominant in 'both the processing of
emotional information :Jnd in the production of emotional expressions'.
Quoting Bowd, they offer a pllssiblc expbnation for this: 'emotional
processing involves str,1(egies and functions for which the right hemi
sphere is slIperior: strategies termed nonverhal, synthetic integrative,
holistic, and Gestalt, and functions such as pattern perception, visuo
spatial organization, and vis/lal illlagillg' (Springer and Deutsch
1993:20T; emphasis added).
Language learning, of course, deals with words; words arc not
encoded in isolation in our brains. They nrc present there with many,
many nssociations ,lnd images - visual, auditory, kinaesthetic,
IInpicnsam '" - which play an important role in the learning process.
Stevick stresses the diversity of the dimensions of an im;lge and
concludes tklt 'the S/lCctr1llll ol lIo/werba/ melllory itellls that arc
relev;lnt to bngu,lge teaching is very hro,ld, incillding particlliarly items
of purpose and emotion' (19H(,: 1()2).
We could say that circular rel;nionship exists between imagery and
Images arc saturated with affect, but in turn mental imagery can
influence our .lffective states and development. Both directions are
important (or bngu,lge learning. This bond between affect and imagery
in our mcntal processes points to the lIsefnlness of incorporating
visu:1lization into an affective appro,Kh to language learning. When
posirive emotions arc involved, \c;lrning is reinforced, and an easy way
to h :ng about an associatioll of emotion nnd -language is through
images. \'(/ords arc nll:rel), <1 series letters, originally without meaning
or e-motional COl1lent. \Xlhat stimulates the emotional reaction is the
image associared in Ollr minds with the words. Thus imagery in the
cbssroom helps liS COllnect the language we teach with the affective side
of ollr learners_
Uses of imagery in language teaching
The possihle applications of visualization or guided in bngu<1ge
teaching ;1re- 11lIlllerollS. Stevick has pointed out how for verb;ll commu
llication :-0 ('xist there must he a modification of images ill the
pnrlicip"n.-s' minds; he .ldds that il11:1gcs in language study are of use
because gellCl",ltillg thclll creates new lleural cOllllectiolls and
strcngt!a:ns the old and llukes 'the nctworks Illore solid, Illore complete,
and more :ls<1hlc' (19i>():5 1).
1. 64
[6 ViSll'lli zdti() lI: Lil/lgll<lge learnillg with tlJe lI1i1le/'s eye
To begin to explore the worlJ of imagery in bngllage learning, one
possihility we might COil sider is a simple exercise tilat could be llsed in a
variety of classroom sitllations, l1lost obviously with material reLHcd to
rooms of the honsc and furniture.
illlagine YOllrsd( ill Ii roUIII Y(lI( /mew very lUeil as ,/ child. W'iJat
do YOII see ill (IN' n)lllll? \\fh.,l (IIntitllre is tlJere alld where is it
phil-eli? WiJere ,Ire (he lI'illc/OW:;? 1..001/ Ollt o( aile wil/aolU.
\'(//Jat dC) YOII sec? [)O YOII hellr (111)' SOli/His? \X'hat do you see all
the l(Jalls? Is there (lllythillg ill (hu nl()/II that lil-illgs back special
mellwries? / /O!(I do YOII (rei there? W/here do the doors lead?
(i\(_lapted frOi11 Miller 19H.I)
A follOW-lip Oil rhis simple visualiz;ltion would be to have students
write a description oi the roOlll, which will undoubtedly be richer and
more detailed after having returned to it ill the mind's eye. A fllrther
possihility wOllld he for Swdent A to descrihe the room to Stlldent BI
who would 1ll,lke a drawing of the room as she understands. it from the
description. Sllldent A would then check to see if the drawing is correct.
Another example:
Thillk o( all ohject that lor ()//l! reasoll or (II/other means
sOlllethill!:: s/' (!l: il1l to ), 0 11. Sec it ill YOllr milld's eye lUitl) ali its
details. Rel/le/Ill)er I}()w YOII it, the CirOllll/stallcP-s Sllr
rolllldillg this IIIO/IICllt .,. ](lhere yo/( hee// it ... holU it (eels
whell YOII t(JII, -h it . . . what si!c1/Jt] amI co/ollr it ... /.I.,hat
lee/illgs yOIl /h IUl! lI,h ell yo/( sec it.
Le,lrners cau then he asked rn descrihe it to ,1I10ther person.
To ;JCClls[()m le;lI-IIl'rS to c:l11ing up illlages in their minds, an Image
Quiz c;ln be lIseJ . Ask ;1 series of questiolls which will reCJuire learners
to form Illl'ntal images in order to How II/all)' willdows arc
there ill YOllr hOllle? i ls YOIl Ilhtll.: ill (hc d{lOr to yo/(r hOll/e, what is ill
(milt o( YOIl? W'/hlt do YOIl sce Oil the ,U<lY to sr/JOol? What was the first
thillg yOIl did whcll y()/( got Ill) tllis lIlorllillg? Worrld YOH bett(}r ill
a grcell slllcata Pf {/ red (Jlle? This exercise is well-adapted to pair work
with students asking ("lch other the q . estiolls.
in the ahove cx.lmplcs imagery work is ".1 sed 011 more superfici.ll
levels of melltal activilY_ 11o,,"el'er, [he creation of certain types of new
mental images (In involve deeper levels th'lt conllect to very significant
learning ,1IHI to the llwdifi(;ltioll of negative attitudes which place
ohstacles in our wa)'. It is here tll.1t the influence of affect is most
strollgly felt.
One eX:llllpll' of deep illlnger), work would he with goal setting.
Learners (;111 he asked to see thelllsclves ns they arc 1l0W regarding
...... ,.
"""'*"'*'A; ".. f ..
26
5
16 Visualizatioll: Longuage Il', .rllillg wil/J Ihe lIIill,i'S eye
their bnguage Icarning skilL.; and thcn to illl;lgilll' how tltt:y would like
to be at the end of the cOllrse. It ill1lllln;lIlt for thelll \() im,lgine tbe
possible new st;\ie 'as cOll,:)letcly as possihle: What wOllld they fed
like? What would tbey be ahle to do? \Vbat doors would I)e opelled?
\'(/ho might "lure thcir satisL1Cli()1l with thelll? Aitn thcy have had
enll\lgh tillle to develop .111(1 enjoy the second image, IUl'e thelll write
down their specific language learning gO;II, aIIII dcvise plans to fL'ach
these goals.
For work with illlagL'ry, especially with (iL-vcloping p()werful new
images, it is often useful to. have students close their eycs and relax. A
quiet, cOllcentratcd mind is a morc fertile ground for the growth of
mental imagery. Le.Hllcrs call he prep;ucd for this gradually to avoid
resistance to wklt for sOllle lila y he a vcry new type of .lctivity: Close
your eyes ,/ 1II0lllellt alili illlUgilll' a ,-,I/'. W/J,1I co/o/(,. is it? ... IlIIagille
II dog. Whot ,/oes it lo(d, IiI,.:? i\t a !;un S(;lge ,I hasic reLlxatioll
excrcisr.; to preceJe vislialil.;lIi()n might I)c lIsdul. III a slow, calm voice
(possibly in their nalive LlJIguagl: ) lell stlldcllts: Close your eyes allli
obserl/e )'ollr breathing. l Is )'011, hrei lfhe Ollt, lI()iicc Imll' 1.11/ Il)e lellsioll
ill YOltr body disilp./Jl'ars. Brerlllh' ill ,I (e('lillg o( cahll alld well-heilig,
IJrcathe (Jill all your I/!(I/'/'il's. 51 r eS5, diS( ;(JIII(orl, ' Illy ICIISioll yOIl (illd iii
YOllr vod)'. cxtensive reLl.,ati()\l exercisc,; which ask b\l'l\l:rs to
relax the body gradnally L;an he introdilcl'd whell reviewing voc'lblliary
of the parts of !he \Judy. (i',,\oskowitz J 9711: 17!;1 - Ho is a good
exam plt:.) ,
11l1<lging may be mainly a visu ,1I PI<)L"CSS - s('(' illg in the Illind's eye.
nut hearing, feCiing, tasting, sllIclling ,llso cnrich Olll' imaginal world,
,mel senses should be ,Hldrcssed ill visll;liil.ati()n tvlurciock
(l987=27-8) prcsents an cxercisL' called 'l\llIltiscnsnry Imager),' which
encouragcs the participatiolJ of all tbe senses, as well as working
imaginally with both helllispiteres of the braill. It illvolves experiencing
on the left, then the right sidL's Ilf the hmill iJl)agl' s of different scnsory
categories. An example of this type of imaging exercise would he: On
Ihe left o( YOllr IJrilill YOII ,I SIIIillY hcad, ... Oil Ihe right {/ SI/(J/lJ
cOlJcred mOlllltain . .. Ull Ihe 141 YOII (ceill) e o( soft rcd uc/uel
... Oil the riglJt tlJC !extllre o( Iree! b,lr/.:. ... 011 Ihe 11' /1 YOII silidl bread
I)ahil!g ... Oil the right t/'(' S ( ('i/ , i (.r /1;111' Irec . ..
T.ifll ing to somc o(thl' spcl:ilic areas wherc visu:Jiiz,lli()J1 ClIl bc used
in the Iauguagc ciasSrLlOIll, wc wili he f()cusing on LlL'rors rr' lated to
Ltngu:lge Icarning processes, (1I1 the facilitaticlll of affective Slatcs which
:\J'e !lHFC L:VO\lf,lbiL' 10 LlIlgll;1ge karllillg and on W;I}'S to liSt: visllaliz,l
lion as a b,ISis for learning 11\;I!L' rial s ;lCtiviti cs.
26(;
r6 Viwoli zalioll: Low,IiIl ,lge leaming leilh Ihe lIIimi's eye
Factors in the language learning process
Memory
Mt:lllory is obviollsly an essellti ,ll to all ic;\J'ning, proillinently so in
sccond langnage learning. And for the llH' IllOl'Y SySf': 11l is
mcnul imagery. Marks (1973:2.5) statC'S th.lt 'illlagcs have an illlport,lllt
function in memory. 11il;lge vividness ... facilil<1tes ,ICCllrate rec:aW.
The usc of imagery as a conscious memory aid is centurics, cvell
millenniums old. Silllonides, Grcek poct and orator, and thc ROlllan
orators after him, would associate in- their llIind parts of their speech
with sections of a building alld then mcntally go throllgh the building to
bring to mind each part of the speech. Today speci'llists in learning
use a similar device often referred to as thc peg system. The
idca here is that YOll learn, say, ten f-i:-:ed itcills which arc like to
hang new items on. (Thcsc should be very C()lIcrete anLI, if possible,
rhyme with the numbers from one to ten. For cxample, onc-sun, t\\'o
shoe ... ) Then when you nced to mClllori7.(;, you associate :1 llIental
imagc with the fixcli items. If the first word ro meilloril,c w.)s 'cather,
you could form an image in your mind's eye of the SIIl1 iall!;hing heC:llIsc
it is being tickled with a feather. (Buzan T991 clcscribes this technique in
greater depth.) This is somewhat similar to the kt:yword technique
when learning a new word, associatc it with ,I known word, prderably
involving an image, that in somc way will rc!nind you of the new word.
If the images are llnusllal, shocking or in SOlllC way ;]ttcntion-getting,
they may be more effective aids. Itcsc:lrch suggests that illl;Jgcry
:1l1lcllIonics, in addition to improving the cognitive effectivcness of
recall, may also inflncnce motivational aspccts, pos'i ihly making
Ic,lrning easier and more enjoyable (Highee 1994)
10 an exercise described by F,ul Stevick (I ,)H()), I saw ill passing that
the Swahili world for crocodile is m;llll!la ami illlll\cdi,ltely fmllled a
mcntal imagc of a crocodile lbllcing the mambo. Though I probably
will never learn more Swahili, the fact that I can still relllcmhcr this
word after a relatively long pcriod of rimc has elapsed with no othcr
relnforcemem testifies to the efficiency of the tcchnique, which is one
that many good language leamers use automatically. /'.<; fogarry
(1994:
2
3) has said, 'Images and words together crcatc a morc powerful
learning episode'.
It has becn demonstrated th,ll concrete words (wurds that havc
images behind thelll) arc easier to rcmernbcr; thcy can be leameLi ill two
ways, verbally and with imagery, which gives !\rcatn'n:inforcemcllt to
memory. Kosslyn (I 9H 3: J 74) cites I\m-yer's c:-:pt:rilllcnt :It Stanford
University which showed that of thrce methods for learning pairs of
"
2.67

r 6 Visualizatioll: LallKIIllge leillllillg with the mind's eye
concret(' words - repeating the words over and over, constructing
separate images of the p,lirs of objects and constructing an image of the
two objects interacting, the latter was definitely the most effective
memory stratcgy. Drose and Allen (r994) comment on how imagery has
also been shown to increase retclltion on the sentence level.
Students can be tallght to make mental flash cards to help them
assimilate vocabulary. Especially with languages such as English which
are not spelled phonetically, it is very llseful to be able to picture the
word itself and, if possible, an image associated with it. Revell and
Norll1:1n describe an illteresting NLI> spelling technique which incorpo
rates visualization. Write the word on the board high enough so learners
have to look up, the natural position of the eyes when visualizing. Have
students take a mell!al picture of the word and then close their eyes and
sec it. Nexi the)' write it down from memory. These steps can be
repeated until the word is mastered; if one part of a word creates
problems, they can imagine that part bigger (Revell and Norman
1997: .'P)
Rehearsal
Mcl.aughlin (1990: Il5) points out that for complex cognitIve skills,
such as those involved in language learning, to become automatic and
thus free attention for new learning, practice is a necessary activity: 'A
skill must be practiced again and again and again, until no attention is
required for its performance'. One type of practice for a second
language would be to repeat verb conjugations or do gnlInmar exer
cises. Tliis type of practice can lead to greater accuracy but may not
affect fluency at all. With visualization we can do another type of
practice called rehears<ll, which is closely linked to what athletes do in
many 3portS. On the pmdy physiological level, it has been shown that
merel y activating an image of yoursdf swimming, for example, can
produce minute muscular changes. Several experimental studies
(Kendall, Hrycaiko, Martin and Kendall 1990; Vernncchia and Cooke
1993, a mong others) ha ve shown the effectiveness of mental rehearsal
techniques in basketball t[aining. Speaking about perceptual motor
skills in general, Richardson ([983) states that if <In individual has an
adcqu;'\te inner model of a skill, perf('mnance "can be significantly
improved by mental prnctice procedures. In the area of self-confidence
in a thletes, however, results of a Michignn State University stlldy
suggest that merely imagining rehearsal is of less significance tban the
use of imngery of master)' experiences and the emotions involved in the
, experiences (lvloritz, TIall, /vlartin nnd Vadocz 1996). Though not
particuL>.iy concerned with the physical aspects of imngery work,
268
16 Visrraii z"lti()Il : i .ll/lgrrage Il',l/"Ilillg with the mind's eye
Assngioli was neverthel ess aware that 'vividly imagining an actio[j
performed sLiccessfllll)' trains our brain and our body to perform it'
(Neville 1989:r02.).
Th<lrp and G,lllilllore (1 9Hll:.j Il) COllnect lllodelling and mental
rehearsal:
. .. research has ShUWll that active cmling,of modeled nctivities
intlJ descri ptiolls or labels or vivid im,lgery increases learning
nnd retention of complex skills. Through watching others, then
a " person can forl11 an idea of Ib,: components of a complex
behavior and can begin to visua;;ze how the pieces could
assembled and sequcnced in var;ons other settings. All of this
can be achi eved through cemral processing, without having
performed the action.
They stress the useflliness of thi s tfpc of activity as a tool in teacher
training.
\Xlhat first attracted Ill)' att('lllioll tll visualiz:nion in I:lnguage learning
was Jean I Iouston's narration of the case of an American scholar who,
before going to 'n conference in Europe, eliminated blocks about
speking FrenL'll and b)' workiilg with imagery. ror each
language, ill n very reLlxcd state he was told to think of a word that was
the essence of the language for hil1l and to let it flow through him. He
was then instructcd to visualize himself travelling throughout the
cOllntry, speaking III everyone. In bOlh CISCS after thirty minutcs, in
which he reported that he felt he Iud been travelling for a week, it w"s
foulld that his flllency improved notahly and with Italian his accuracy
did also. Houston (I I 53) comments '}n resnlts sllch as these: 'it. is
possible to focns psychic proccssing so tlwt it seems as if a is
being cleared to fOflneriy hidden Similarly, Brown
(T 991:86) descri ill'S \Vh,1t he ca115 the visu,ll iza tinn game: 'Visua lize
yourself speaking the ianglI<1gc f1ucntly and illter<lcting with people.
Then when you are <lctually ill such a situation, you will, in a sense,
have "been there" before'. III exercises of this nature it is useful to bring
in as many of the sellSes as possi hle ,llld to emphasi ze the emotional
reactions involved.
Focus on meaning
An factor in Iangn3ge acq11i si. io11 is shifting the foclls from
linguistic (mill to me.]nillg .lllll, e"en 11lore, to meaningfulness.
\'{forking, as it docs, with l11,llcrial which e1l1erges frolll within each
person, vis11ali/ation hrings personal meaning to the learning process.
One example, alL1ptcd irol11 a preselltatioll by O'Neill based on
!
,
i'
II 1.
S a .. os
26
9
If) Vislla/i zatioll: Lt/I/,lj lldg" Icurnillg '(',II! Ihe liill"!'S eye
Stcvick (-ryHn), is to re:HI :1 short n:1rrati\,(' tnt ;1I1t! th(,ll elicit answers
t o <jucsriom b;IS..:d llOt Oil the nUII,I1 t..:xt, bill Oil illl:lgL' S cn:;rtcd in l'3ch
listcner's mind. (if you read J\s the r,lill (ell, (vlary I(las 1(J()killl; Ollt the
windoll! lIeruollsly. SI)I! ,,/IV jo/JII " /JIm )oI(hillg. She rOil t() him as he
ent ered the d(lor ... ', you can ask, What ll'ilS AI"ry wearillg? H()(u tall is
she? Does Img Jolm or /.'it him? ... ) l.e;JrIICrs nced not fe;lr giving a
facrually wrong <llls\\'cr since the questioll is designed f()f infol'Jllati(1I1 in
their own store of illl;lges. Their :ltt t' ntioll is 'llItolll<ltic;lJiy drawn
to\vards the meaning tklt they ;lrt: constructing ment;rlly, which is nlOrc
like thc process of natural ;;1I1gU ;lgC acquisition than m;ln), traditional
types of languagc Ic.H!linE ;rctivitics. hlnht:rlllore, a holistic lc;lming
situation is provided heC<llIse mC;lning and affective eV:llllation ;lre nO!"
separ;rtcJ frOIIl the lal'gu;lge heing lc'lrtled.
Langll;}ge learnCfs ofren do t1w followillg: thillk of what thc)' want to
52y, convert the proposition into their n:llive lallgll:lgc, thell translate
this into [he t,ll'get bngllagr, with conseqllent difficllities. Working with
vislIali:caticil, Icar!ll.:rs starr with an im'lgc ;1I1t! eln move direcrly into
the L2, bypassing translation. Spc:lking of tcaching foreign
writing, (19;.1(,;{;0 ) llotcs that:
People write what they SL'l'. By ' Scc' I InL',1I1 when words in onc
language ,HC no lopgn eqllal to :l translation, bllt :ll't> the
inst,1111anCOllS conllllllniC:llilln of the aUII'll objcd, fecling, or
action. It is quite lossihk hr studcnts to sC'c a Ino vil' in'their
heads as they write, rarher than ()\'crLlying Sp:lnisll tLlnslarions
or ElIglish gramlll,l[ rill es.
So, along with encour:lging le;lJ'Iler5 of English to ' think in English', we
also might do well to ask tk:m to 's ee in Fnglish'.
Gomley (IY97:8) notl'S ,hat ' language lives only when meaning
breathes life into form and transcends it' :llld stn;sses the importance of
contextualit.ing grallll1l;H through imager)': 'lIlllch of language is the
translation of pictlHcs in the lllind. As LlIlgll:lge teachers, \\Ie must
evoke in the minds of our students a wlJl)!c series of pictmcs, for
withoutthenl there can be 110 sllccessful LlIlgu;rge !c;lrning'.
Skills development.: reading
Discllssing reading, TOIllIiIlS[)n 11Iltcs how 1.1 re;J(lcrs Illake Illllch Illore
use of high level rop-down skills such :IS \'isll:riilatioll, while in L2
reading much more ;rttention is given m'er to low !cvel decoding. If
visualization is not dcvek,pcd, the re,l ding process ,md 1:1 nguage
iearning can bc rendered IllOrc difficult.
I6 VisllaliZilliu1l: 1.<111gili7gC In /rllillg wilh the mil/d's eye
If IC:Jfllers do not sec pictures in th(,ir minds of the texts the)' ;rre I
reading thcn they will have &reat difficulty in :lchicving global
IInderstanding and their expcrience of thc lext" will be fragmen
tar), ;rnd shallow. Not only will they not enjoy re;lding bllt they '
will not tLl[Jsfn reading skills which the)' h;lve already devel
oped in their I. rand tlr"eir enCOunter with the langnage uf the
texts is unlikely to be deep and meaningful enough to facilitate
langnage acquisition. CIilllllinsoJl [99X:2.77-8)
He recomlllcnds developing visualization through str;rteg)' instruction
and the usc of visualiz,llion strateg)' activities for reading in a second
language and affirms that 'incre:lsillg all 1.2 rC:ldl'r's ahility to vislI,riise
can facilitate positive cng:lgelllcllt wilh the text ;rnd Gill incrc;)se the
reader's ability to comprehend :lnd reLlill wh;rt is rcad' (Tomlinson
1998: 2 70 j.
\Xfhen working with reading, the propel choice of texl'S is import;);)t.
Tomlinson (1997) recommends the!lSe of Ittl:r;lI')' texIS for their i;rcility
in engaging the learner both cognitivel}' ;rnd affectivel}'. However, they
can only be truly effective if they arc l)l)t studied ror the language hlJt
rathn responded to aesthetically. And for lltis.to happen, it is hcipflJi to
use visualiz3tion throughollt thc reading process. (Sec Appendix II on
page 2.77 for an eX:lJnple of using visualizatio.1I \vhcn rC'lding literary
texts.)
In all skills work visualit.ation can prilllc tire existing schcma to
f.lcilitate comprehcnsion or to enrich production. !\Ild ill tllC context of
working with literature, it is interesting to note how Slnkespl:arc in
Jlellr), V recognizes the importancc of meiltal illl;lgery:
Piece Ollt all[ imperfections with your thoughts .. .
Think, when we talk of horses, that you sec them
Printing their proud hoofs i' tire receivillg e;rrth;
For 'tis yom thoughts that now lllust deck our kings ...
Positi'.le affective states
According to KossiYll (1983), much of wl1<1t we consider personality is
made up of representations, 'images', in mClllory. At least part of wh;rt
we collceive of as self and others is stored ;rs images therc, Modifying
thcse Illental imagcs with thc help of visll;lliz;ltioll, crc;aing more
cfficiellt new affective states ;llld rl:placing indficient.old ones, has a
very facilitating effect on bngu'lge !r:;lrlling. Imagery C;ln hring out the
unrecognized and rework the alre;rdy existing. Neville (1 lists
some of the ways learncrs' affective SLltcs can hL' improved:
2.7 1
Hi
1.70
16 Visllalizatioll: Lllllgllage ICI/mill!; I{lith the lIIilld's eye
Students can deal with learning difficulties by imagining them
I
selves able to handle the task with case. They can deal with I
i
f:ltigue and boredoll1 by a visualisation in which they are
i
refreshed and energised. They can deal with depression and
I
frustration hy a fantasy in which these emotions arc symboli
cally transformed into .thcir opposites.
Drawing on the work of Assagioli and psychosynthesis, \X/hitmore
(I9S6) describes ways to help learners recognize their feelings and
recondition those that arc not positive through a structured use of
imagery. This type elf visualization can provide support for developing
several of Gardner's Illultiple intelligences, especially the interpersonal
and intra persona I.
1\ basic usc of vi sualization in this sense is to help students learn to
leave their problems and worries .1t the door to the classroom. If they
arc centrud, learning will he Illnch easier. 1\ simple centring exercise
would he:
Closc ),Ollr eyes IIlId rcl.l.\ YOllr IJoily alld lIIil1d. 11 is a 1)Ieasallt
SIJfillg day. Go ill YOllr lIIil/(l to " place that yOIl elljoy. It lIIay
lic II 1)I<1ec Ilhlt yO/I IJ,111e bcell I)e{ore or aliI' Ihat ),011 are
illlagillillg 1I0W {or the first tilllc. 11 may be ill a (orcst, 011 a
IlIolllltaill, lit thc sca or SOIllC 1)Iace clse. As yotl walk a/ollg,
elljo)' tlie {resh air. Not icc thc c%llrs arolllld ),Otl al1d listcn 10
thc sOllllds. feel tl)c SIIII warmillg YOIl and gillillg YOII ellergy.
Elljoy (or Oll/o/llellt the !,eace alld /IIc1I-being stlrrolllldillg YOll.
Guided imagery can lead to a greater integration of the affective and
cognitive functions. An exercise such as 'Feeling and mind integration'
(Whitmore 1986:r02-4), clesigne"d specifically for adolescents, can
make learners more aW;.lre of their fe elings and help them to explore
and strengthen the relationship between the two domains. In this
exercise you first develop images for your cognitive and affective sides
(perhaps an owl and a heart, or a computer and a bird) and then take a
pic<lsant walk up a mountain accompanied by the images, the three of
you experiencing the beautiful day and possibly maintaining three-way
communication leading to greater harmony among the parts. \X/ork of
this n:ttl1tt: can prepare the way for more effective language le.lrning to
take place, especially with learners who have diffIculty integrating
different aspects of themselves.
The negative inOuence of anxiety on language learning is very
generally accepted (sec Oxford this volume), but working with imagery
f
can provide solutions. One way to do so is shown in an experiment
carried out at the Uni versity of Seville (Arnold 1994) involving two
27 2
16 ViSllilliwtioll: Lallguage leamillg with the milld's eye
gH'Ups of fifteen students who h;ld. expressed significant feelings of
anxiety abollt their listening comprchension exam. With the experi
mental gronp, cvenly m:ltcheJ on the with the control group, six
scssions of rclaxation-visualization ,' xercises were used bcfore six
practice exams. The control group onl y did thc practice exams. On
post-test the experimelltal group showed marked improvement
over the control group. r-,\ore importantly, on "open-ended question
na ires a high percentage of the comJ11ents from members of the
cxperimental group refl ected a definite reduction of anxious feelings :
'At first 1 felt vcr)' nervous but then 1 began to relax. Now I can even
listen to the text and I have time to think.' ' I believe that being calmer is
very impoI:tant because the texts are ac.::essible to everyone as far as
vocabulary and the rest; all that is is to recognize what we
already know.' 'I (eel more confidellt :lbollt listening and abollt myself.'
Though further research with Luger samples is neCl:SSJIy, there is a dea!"
indication that anxiety can be rcduceJ hy visualization. Likcwise,
Robert s and Clark (I mention thc clse of the German teacher
who llsed relaxation and visualization cxercise.s before an exam, noting
significallt improvement in the lju;llity of the writing produced. The
students involved cou.ldn' t understand this change ul1til he explained
how 'a lot of their learned knowledge was not ahle to surface because of
the nervousness and fC;lr and the tension, ;lIld once they were relaxed,
the learned storehouse of information was able to be tapped'.
Systematic descilsirization is a technique that uses visualization to
reduce phobias, stage fright ,Ind diverse typcs of anxiety. It can be used
with anxiety produced by certain situations related to language
learning, such as taking exams or speaking before others in the
language. The learner makes a list of twenty items related to the task,
arranged according to the degree of risk :Ilvolved. (Pencil, blank paper,
desk, classroom, rows of pcople writing ... going into the exam room,
waiting for the exam to start, picking up the exam paper, taking the
exam.) In a vcry rel;lxed sute the learner is told to imagine the least
anxit:ty-provoking. Wilen she feels comfortable with this image, the
next is visu.lli zcd, continuing until thc le;lrller can at last calmly evoke
an image of taking the cxam itself. If anxiety arises at any point, it
inay be necessary to dcepen the state of rcl.lxation or make the list
longer (Davies T9116). Research by Tyron (1911o) shows that eight one
hom sessions can produce a marked decrease in anxiety in a tes[
sitll<ltion.
Self-esteem and self-efficacy can be improved through the usc of
imagery. In a relaxed st3te, the mind is r,xeptivc to a pestructurillg of
one's self-image .lIld the appraisal of one's abilities; NLP has shown tbat
if you can imagine yourself doing sOllletbing, YOll are morc likely to be
ii' %S" : po [4" . . _ _ . . .
273
16 Vi.waiiwli(lI1; LJI.!gllllge ICLImillg with tl)(' willd's eye
3hlc to do it. Om: example is an L'xcn: isc sllgg<!stcd by ClIIfield and
Wells ( J994:203-4) called 'I havc a dre'IIIl' . After working with rvlarrin
Luther King's famous speech, learners selee! ,I dreal1l lhey have. \Xlhen
they are rela xed, rhey art' !,I:ided through a vi "ualiz. :llioll in which tbey
experience ha',1i llg :lctllally ;1Chievnl their dream. All their scnses arc
incorpor:1ted, and thcy register how the)' arc feeling, what they are
:l!1d doing. Artcn\, ;. rds, setting writing tasks abollt their visuali
za tioll prnvitics rcinforccl11cllt for developillg the ability to succeed, as
well as fun-her work in t; ,e second Iangllage. (An example of a
visualization to increase \camel' s' confidence and to make them more
of ways to access their knowledgc of the Llnguagc is fOllnd in
Appcndix C on pagc 27H.)
Likewise, cillpathy, whi ch has hecn shown to be ,I useful quality for
iJngllage learning, is ,Hllcnahle to dcvelopll1ent with images. Miller
(198I:IIIl) proposes that <Jllr imagination and intuilion we can
auempt to perceive the otitcr person's feelings thoughts'; this is
important in eOl1ullunicati.ve behaviour and panicubrly when bnguage
ie;uning also involves culture Ic:uning. Air el' all, isn't 'putting yourself
into someone el se 's shoes' illl tigillillg what it is like to be the othcr
pcrson?
If, as has been propOSI':\ in this vollll11e, language classrooms can at
times also be a source of values education and of the development of
emotional intelligence, then visualizatiull can further this goal. ' IJlrongh
imagery it is possible to find creative soilitions to prohlems discussed in
the c1assrooI1l. When dealing with a mor;il dilemma, Iv!i1ler
(I9!!2:117-!l) suggests that stlldents 'could sir quietiy for a short period
of time and imagine thcniselves res ponding to this sitllation. Perhaps
several images and fL'sponses would cOll1e to mind' . He suggtsts using
this material as a h,lsis for grollp discussion, hut other second language
work could be roleplays, composition projects, diary work, dtbares or
further research on the topic. In our images may bc contnintd the
e'nergy to bring our drtams into the renlm of reality. As Mulligan
(1991:185) has said, 'is the precursor to creativity ,wd action
... it helps liS tranSCelll : '.Irrent experience of reality and combine the
possible with the impossible'.
Teaching materials and activities
The more experience we :lcq,lire as tC;h: hers, the more we arc attracted
to diversifying our c1assrool11 activities, supplel11cntillg thc textbook
with Illateri:ll that we is :1ppropriatc and imcrcsting for our
particular context. One objection to supplelllcnting the tcxtbook with
274
1'6 \' isllalizl1tioll: l .fl lIgllage let1rllillg with the willd's eye
Gther materials is that this requires considerablc expenditure of time
and money. However, with imagery work, we can creatc vtry enriching
language activities with littl e timc and no mane}' beca use these activities
rely on material that is in cach studcnt's mind
We cannot assume that all learners arc ilhlc to visualize wel!. Precisely
because, as we have seen, the imaginal parts of our mind h,l ve been
allowed to rust, it is often nccessary to provide Icarners wili} exerciscs
to develop their imaging abilities at the sanle time as they <lfC working
on their language abilitits. In addition to the suggestio;ls above, for
useful work with the language YOIl can give le:Hncrs a sentence: 'The
girl walked along tl,e road'. Add <111 adiectilJc to 'girl'. Add 1111 adverb !u
'/lmlked'. Add 11 {m. '/JOsiliollal {,hra sc after 'r')<7d'. {ollow the girl to see
what she does lIext. Then dehrid, having learners compare their
different versions. This is doubly usdul, as they provide models for each
other's imagination, as well as linguistic input' (Adapted from Crindcr
199T). When working with Icss superficial aspects of imagery, it is even
more important to process the ('xperiencl: in sOllle way - SIll:111 group
discussion, writil1g, jotirnal work, drawing and reflection arc some of
the possibilities.
Moskowitz (I 97H) bas developed guided il11 ;lgery .1Ct ivifc.i, which
she calls fantasy trips . In these, stlldents arc guided through junglcs, to
quaint villages, beneath the sea, back to their own past. The
material produced on thesc trips can he used for many purposes,
ranging from pr:1ctice with discrete gralllm:lr points to integrated skills
work.
Music is usefnl as :1 stimulus for visualization and ,IS a W;)y to
incorporate an affective investmcnt in the languagc \earning situation.
Onc effective activity is to play hits of different types of Illusic and have
learners invent a film each piece could he used ior. 1\s lIlusic tcnds to
open our minds to images, we can expect lIlore highly 'developed
writing than if we simply asked students 10 write ahout a film .hey
would like to make.
NLP makes extensive use of visilalization. Grinder (1991) suggests
using simple exercises such as the following, whi ch can he used to
supplemenr other materials for various purposts. Co//sider the top o(
YOllr desk to be YOllr roOIll. As i( lookillg dowlI (1'011/ the ceilillg, tOl/ ch
what would be tl,e door, where the bee! luould I;e, and so forth.
Similarly, ask learners to imaginc therc is a cat on the desktop. \'(I'hic/;
way is it (acing? What color is it ? flo/(! big is it? Is it S!{//rc/i1lg, siltillg or
I),jllg dCHvl1? Scratch its car. Both of these ;]rc <;specially useful for
kinaesthetic learners as an clement of 1110vC'l11ellt is involved.
The ahove examplts arc offered as a salllpic of thc many ways that
imagery can be incorporated into the c\;lssrool1l to support learning.
275
[C
J6 Visllalizatiol1: l .allgllilt;C learllillg lUith the lIIind's eye
He'lJ the cognitive and [lffective [lSPC':h of the language learning process
call henefit from ;]ctiv<lting elements o( our learners' visual storehouse.
In preparing visualization activities, as when working with any affect
related area i"n the language class, it is wise to rememher that nothing
wil'l be right for all stlldents all the time. However, the great majority of
leamers will find that imagery work is a valuable tool that can, in
IV!llrdock's words, help them to 'relax, learn more easily, improve
melllory ski.lls, get along better and be more creative and productive'
(Murdock 19 87: '4).
~
t
Conclusion: extending imagery to teachers
t
In this chapter several ways of using mental imagery to help language
i
learners have been discussed. However, as te[lchers we can also benefit
fronl using visualization. I would like to suggest one activity. \Vhen you
f
are alone and in a quiet place, relax yom body and your mind and ~
visualize a scelle: it is a typical class, a few good things, some less good.
t
Problcms come liP; there arc 110 vcry effective solutions ... Everyone is
allxious for class ro he over to go home. When the bell rings, there is a
f
~
rush for the ooor. Now, change the scene. You are teaching the best
class ever. Everyol1e is enjoying themselves. The students are learning a
r
lot, both about the language, which they are using eIlthllsiasrically, and
I
I
i
about themselves and each other. There are mallY positive feelings
toward the experiellce, and when the class is over, you and the students
rake a pleas:Jnt sensation Ollt of the classroom. Either image can be real;
it's up'to YOll to choose.
Suggestions for further reading
I
,
1
HOllston,]. 19!1 2. The Possible HIIlIlall. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher,
inc.
Ivtoskowitz, G. 1978. Carillg all,! Sharillg ill the Foreign Langl/age
Class. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
l\,1nruock, M. I YR7. Spillnillg Illward. Boston: Shambbala.
Rcv!!II,]. and S. Norl1l:ln. 1997. III Your /-iallds. NLP ill FLY London:
Saffire Press.
Stcvick, E. \X'. [;I!l(,. IlIIages alld O/)tiolls ill the Language Classroom.
Cambridge: Camhridge University Press.
Whitlllore, D. 198(,. PsychosYllthesis ill Education. Wellingborollgh:
Turnstonc Press Limited.
1(, Visll,'{i zalirm: Lallgllage leaming with the mil/d's eye
Appendix A Developing the ability to concentrate
and to visualize
Sit comfortably, (Iosc your eycs and direct your attention to your
breathing. As you hrc:lthe deeply and slowly, feci yomself becoming
very rci'axed, yct :llert (p'll1SC stvc!';ll seconds.) ' ... !'folo the following in
yom mind (or scveral l1IomentS, returning to tne image if you become
distracted. Try to im;lgine each as cOl1lpletely as possible, using :lit your
senses: a white dove ... , bells ringing ... , apple pie ... , a cool, clear
stream ... , a tall tree ... , a red ruse ... , the 11100n ... , an elephant
walking.
Now, visualize a sofr white cloud high liP in a very blne sky ... make it
come nearer ... lI1:lke ir smaller ... \11;lke it bigger ... change its shape to
resemble a rabbit ... now change it to look like a house with lovely
white slI10ke coming our of the chimney ... Ohserve how the sll10ke
writcs your name ill the sky.
(Adaptcd frolll an exercise in Nevill e 19i1Y:93-4)
Appendix B Visualizations with literary texts
For work with a lit erary text, for example, Edith \Vh;lrtOl1'S short novel,
Elhall Frome.
Before rea ding:
lhing to your mind a picture of life in a ,l( )or rural area of New EnglanJ
at the end of rhe nineteenth century ... If you lived there, what would
YOtH life be like? ... Imagine a typical tby on the farm in winter, wl1'1t
wonld you do? .. . \\lho would you Sf,CI .. What might you do in the
evenings? .. , Imagine that your spouse is ,1 person who is always
complaining ... Whar would your mcals together be like? ... \'('bat
hopes and drc;]lt1s would you h;1VC? ...
After reading the tftxt:
Visualize rhe evening [th,ln w,llks young, jo)'ful Tvhlltie, his wife's
cousin, home from the d[lnce .. . What do thc)' talk about? ... \'('hat is
the sonnd of her voice like? .. , How does he feci? '" Imagine how he
walks - is there ,lilY diffcn:nce frolll how he usually walks? ...
Visuali l e E.than's life a,lrcr the accident ~ , t the end of the hook ... What
changes in his appellrance do you illlagint.? ... \Vhat atll10sphere do you
feci in the house now with l\1altic crippicd and hitter? ... If you were
276
277
I G Viwaiiuztioll: Lallgllllgc ic,.' millg luitiJ the III/lid's eye
the Wlrrator :-,nd could talk with Ethan, what would you ask him? ",
Discll ss '.vith him anything that you may have !IH)lIght about as YOI I
were rc;".!ing his story ... Theil cl);1ll ge roles and illl ;lgine YOII arc /::thall
. . . Expla in yom experiences and feelings to SOlllCOfH' ...
Appendi>: C Visit with a master teacher
Close your cyt's and hring Y()\lf attention to )'our hreathillg. Notice how
with each breath YOll become 1l1L:'C ;lIfd more relaxed .. . It is a warIH
spring cby and you ,Ire in thc countrysidc Ilcar a beautiful 1l1011lHain.
TheIl' is a very casy path goin g up thc mlHlIlIain and you decidc ro walk
Clp to rile top, As you you noti ce the sights illld sounds and smell s
along the way. There is a soft that ) ' 0\1 feel lOuchillg your bce as
you walk. You sec !lowers of all colollrs alollg I he path and hcar the
birds $:nging ill the trees. \VhL'li yO I\ get l() the lOp YOI\ (;1 11 sec the
countryside below. 1\ ,; you I'Jok aroulld, YOll Ilotice a shady trec. Under
the tree is a lart ',e rock wherc' SOIlH' Olle is sittillg. It is a pcrson who is
ycry wise and who call help you 1(, ;11"1\ eX:1l'lI)' what YOlillceJ to know at
this momcnt, This perSOH is W:1ilillg for you t(l help you with the
prGC(;!'S of leaming yO\lf lal11-\lI:1 1-\ c. Ask ;111)' questions, seek any
:1dvlce you need , This tcachr- 111,1)' C0Il111Hll1icate with you in man)'
r
different ways in order to improve your abilities to nsc thc langu\lge.
You wil! have .hree milllllcs, which is ;, 11 the lime you need to receive
:hcs(; te;lchings. .
(After thrce minu.tes) Now rOil Illmr sa}' good-bye, thanking thi s
persOIl allli knowing th;it you call rl'fllrn for more help whcncver you
wish. Y(n walk down tile moulltaill, laking with YOll everything that
you hal'l:' learned . . . I ;1f
T
1 going to (( Hint to ;lIHI whcn I reach five,
open )Olll eyes, feeling reiaxed, a!nt and cOllscious of your ahilit): to
learn the language wei! .. ,
278
EXERCISE 65.
MYSTERIOUS ME8
Purposes:
Affective-
To observe what tangibles about us reveal insights into us
To call on the imagination
Linguistic-
To practice the third person singular
To practice the use of adjectives Jnd nouns
To wrik a narrative abollt oneself
Levels: All
5'fze ofgroup.I" Abou [ six
Procedures: As yu J give the assignment, tell the class:
"There are many clues around us that reveal what we are like. Imagine that
you are a f:JIl!OllS person but have kept your life a mystery to the public.
"A top ;'.porter for a wellknown newspaper gets )n idea of how to
discover wll.:t you are really like: in order to write your unknown story. The
reporter in to your house one day when no one is home and goes co
bedroom. She searches through your drawers and in your closets and looks at
evelything in sight. upon the condition of your room and what she finds
tLc(e, tI L reporter feel:; coofiuc:nt that she can write a revealing story about the
fc:Jl you.
"List all of the the reporter wiU find that give clues as to the kind of
person you Then write the story about yourself as the reporter would, based
upon the evid<2I1ce found in your roon-:."
When tl'l: papers are due, have them read to the class and the identity of
each In this-case,-te-ll the-stu-tientsto write a fictitious name rather than
their o\\on in the body of the paper.
. As an alternative, the students can all write on identic:ll paper, still using a
fictitioHS nllme instead of their own. Put the students into groups of and have
pbce their papers in J pile face down. Everyune picks a paper to read aloud
and others guess the idelltity of the mystery person. Even if a person picks
his/her own paper to [cad, it won't matter. The items the reporter finds are read
first, followed by the write-up. Ask each group to select one story to be read to
the total class .
'he studelll' CJn then an as a totaf class:
i. What did you learn about yourself and others from this exercise?
2. Why was [he identity of some easier and others harder to guess?
- ---------- --- --- -
I
EXERCISE 70.
FIREMAN, SAVE MY ...3
Purposes:
Affective-
To encourage students to think about what they really cherish and
place a high value on
Linguistic- .
To converse freely in the language
To stress the conditional tense
Levels: Midway through the first year and all other levels; beginning students can
be given sentences to complete in carrying out the exercise
Size of groups: Approximately five
Procedures: Ask the studen ts to close their eyes and imagine the foHowing scene:
You have been away all day and are returning home. As you arrive at your
house or apartment, you find it is on fire. Luckily, all members of your family
and your pets 2re safe. But almost everything else is destroyed.
A firemar,l' then calls uown to YOll, "1 can save just one thing that's ifi your
house for you. Te l! what you want." Think about all the belongings in your
and what is the one thing you would ask to b:lVe saved.
After r. !l :.tudents have time to think about this (or you could have them
refl ect on it J:i a homework ask them to share this in their groups.
They should le1l what item they would want to have s:lved and why . When
one has hJd a iUfil, ask the students to decide what value this shows they place
strong on. Tell the -::tudents to be specific. For example, if someone
would save a photograph albl-lIll, the -value-is not being sentimental but that of
plJcing a strong 'Inpilasis on the family. Have the class uis(;uss these values in
small groups Jnu as a whole, and summarize the kinus of values they come up
with.
My Vailies
II
Jle does 110/ h"licl'e /11111 cioc>' " " / occorciill!: 10 his belief
- Tlhllllas "Ller
If you ask students,. "What uo you v,due in Iire'
I
" you llIay very welll!ncounter
silence. Many peopk lJr all ,Iges Lire not Cllnsciously aware of wlwi they believe in.
The rollowing cxerds\.!s arc inlcndeJ to help slUde'!!ts discover some of their
values: what is illly ,rtant 10 thelll, what they LJclieve in,' wnat they reel se ntimental
about, and what thev want frollllii'e .
I'
I
CHERISHED ODJECT!
EXERClSL! 68. I
PlIrposes : II
Arreclive
. To drblop a deeper Icvelllr closeness among studen!s
To erlcburage students to thillk about and J,ecide what is precious and
them
To to see each other in a IIl t re intimate light
Linguisti c
To I+bice the past tense(s) .
Tll prat tic\.!. the structure "It is importallt td mc because .
To .I sking and answering qllestillns
I
To practice the skillofwritillg
Levels: Intermedbte to advant:ed; beginning groups wuld do this exercise if
provided with silll'l ie openellded statements to comple\e.
Size o!grollps: About six to eight '
, .
"",,',," ",,<1,,/, i..,",,',",,' ohi'"'' ,,,"" mh ",,,,I,,,
Pmw/",'" T , II 'h' "," '" ,,,,,' "'" "II ,',,', b,' """L,,' """" "",' 10 ""Id,.
out or everytlting they h;lw, wllat is the llJl)st sigltiriL';lllt artd personally IIlcuning
rul object own. Ask Iilcln to think of why the itclll is so valuahle to them.
You can request that they write th e answer to thi s qucslion and hring the object
what they wrill ell to class.

,.
Place students in groups of six to eighl. Halle one person at a time in
each group shDW the precious 10 the others and share the significance or
th e itcm witil The object, if not lOll delicate, can t)C around for each
10 Members or the group ask quesliolls or Cdlll Ille I Ii ahout the object.
As e,lch group fini shes, a display can made or Ihe object s with the
pa ragraph each ;(; rsoll wrote il. (You Ill ay want the paragraph turned in'
or time S, ) you t:an make corredi olls allu have the recopy their
to assure accu racy.)
The da, 3 willLJe intercs teu in seeing Ihe objects others have brought in and
reading what is said aboilt them .
Variatioll: When the groups are fini shed and a display of the items is set up, have
half the groups stand Ilear their displays while the other groups are each asked to
look at the displays of another group. The onlookers can read the descriptions
and/or ask people ill the group 10 tell them about some or the oLJjects Jisplayed .
The gfllUpS can )(!Iate so they have all opportunity to see what one or more
pl>lIpS bwught in and also to tell others outside their group about their cherished
llhjects.
Com/llents : If there is insufficient time to carry out Ihe activity so retlly, the
objects can just be shared with the original group. The class will be curious to
kllow about what others brought in though. Olll! way to take less time is to ask
ror one or two students from each group to tell the entire class about their object s
and to hold l,;em up. The groups can be asked to volunteer these people them
selves. They will tend to select those which were Ihe most unique or sentimental
or touching.
In concluding, ask the class members to uiscuss in groups and/or as a total
clClss what they learned about alld rrom this experience. This
can also be assigned tll atltomc in writin g as a followup to the exercise .
This activity t:an be carried out at allY tilne or the year. Ilowever, it is a good
strategy ror getting students to feci c1osc:r to one another, and is especially
helprul early in the year ror this purpose.

{
EXERCISE 72.
I
GLORlpUS GARMENT
Plirpas('s:
I
Affectivc
Toex<Jl1linc what students value
To encouragc thinking sentimcntally
To share these sentiments ;lnd to dis cover what other:; cheri sh
Linguistic .
To practi ce the vocabulary of ;lIlicles of clothillg.
To pra cti ce the use of L1tijec livcs
Levels: All levels
Size a/groups: C<ln be dune as LI tota l cl:1SS or in groups of about six
Materials needed: An article of clothing brough t in by each studellt
Procedures: Announce the assignment, which mllst be completed before this
exercise can be carried ou t:
"Throughout our li ves we have worn Illany difTerent L1rticles of clothing.
Often we have feeli!lgs about :he clothes we we,,!. Some clothes are really
cOlllfortLlhl e and make us fe ci mo re rel axe d or at ease or outgoing. What we wear
can affect how we fe ci and how we feel about lllil sc ives.
"In somc cases we glow attached to an :Irtic!e of clothing. It h:l s sentimcntal
value for us. It' s thi s kind of cl ot hing that we're going to give a ttention to in our
next acti vity. I'd like you to go home :11](1 look throu gh your clothes closc ts and
dresser dr;lwcrs, and ask yourself what siJlgle pi ece of clothing h;ls meant the mos t
to you. II may be something you Ilave save d for a !lllmbc r of ye;lrs and don't even
wear any rilore.
"After you carefully select your fav or ite arti cle of clothing or the one with
the most sentimental value, writ e (give the lengt ll) several par:lgr' lphs about it.
Includ e the following:
I. Describe the artide of clothill g.
2. Why has it mea nt so mu ch to you')
3. What do you associate wilh it'!
4. Is there any st ory or evc nt you connect<wi tl! it'!
5. How did you or do you fe el when wearing it '!
148 A Carini'. and ill the Porcign Lallg,\lagc Cla',s
"On the day IIlL1t wc cany Ollt the activity, bring ill yom ,Irticlc of clothing.
r."lake a card with );I rge letters on ittol;l'bcl what the arti cle is, such as 'My baby
boots,' 'r,ly comfortabl e old shoes ,' 'r,ly favorite belt.' The card will be placed 011 ,
or beside your article in our display . We th ell will hear the stories and ask questions
:ll)oul the L'lothing yon blollght in ."
Relllind studcnts the day ber-me the assiglllll en t is due to bri ng in their
"gOigeous garmen t." ArrLlnge an attractive di splay and gather the class around the
ex hibit. 11,1'",: the students rai se qll es tions about r:t'i:1s of interest to them. Seeing
the articles all display will arollse curiosity. Tl!e studenh will not know to whom
the it elll s belong, and this add s to the intriglle.
A student Jllight <.Isk, "Wll ose st riped sneaks are these?" When the owner
declares, ''' They' re mine," other cl ass members inquire about the information
included ill the writt en paragr;lphs: "J)escribe your sllcal :s for us," "Why do these
sm' :l ks Ill C:lIl :,0 much III YOll')" elc. Other questi l) IlS can be spontaneously ,.ddee!:
"iIL)w Did arc tht',e slleaks'!" " Do YOll still we al them')" "Docs your mother li ke
thelll ')"
\n an swcri ng tlie questions, try !lot to h,lve ;li e read lheir para
hut respond spontaneoll sly . By having written the allswers to some of these
' llicsti ulIS , they should ue more abl e to respon d orally .
When have heell di scll ssed, ask tli e stlldent s to put on their ga rment,
if they call get i,nt .1 it, or else hold dup to theill. Tell to walk around the
room admiring anl\ auollt the "glorious garments" o fa /lumber of
their cla:islllaics. Thi s pli:1SC of tli e activity is enjoyabl e :1I1d hUll1oro1ls.
Variation: IllSt e:l d of a di splay for the tllt,rI class, di Vi de into grollps of six to
eigh,!. E:ll'h gllllip can have its own display alld carry Ollt the activity the samt
Tir e grollps voluntecr t\l'O of tll l' ir mcmbers to slrare the story of their piece
of clothillg with tir e tOlal cla ss, which will ask of each person in the
S<.l Il1 C way.
Othn va riatioll s IJr this exercise :nc tLl havcistllden ts bring in (I) their
oldest ar ti cle of clothing or their 1110st 1111 HlIlTlIS The tone of the activity
would then change frolll heing scntimcntalto ocipg more ent ertailling.
r-
I
THE GIFT I'VE
EXEr{CISE 13.
Pllrposes: .
rfe ctlve - .
To have students assess wlwt they v<Jhfe and aspire to I
\) have students hecome tileir peers value and aspire
to _

10 practice writing simple sentences
practice listclling colllprehension
Lel,t ls: ,lLlviinced levels can upgrade the r xpectatio[ls of the exercise.
IU ,
All Abou[ rhe Exercises * 149
Size ofgrolips: 'rotal cLI $>
Materials lIeeded: Cllmpletion of the assignlilent by the class
If
Procedlires: Students IilUst first be given the assigllment:
"At d!frcrcllt times in our life wt!'are given gifts. Sometimes the gifts are
just what we wJnt, other tillles no\.
"lm;lginc that it is your birthday or Chanukah or Christmas and you are to
receive a special giC!. YUH are told that you c<Jn decide wlwt the gift will be and
whatever YOll choose will be yours. The girt c<Jn be an actual object or some
quality.
"Out of everything you C;lIl possibly have in your gift box, decide what you
will ask for. Write it on a slip of paper (or <J five by eight-inch card). ,(ou do not
have to sign your name to the card, but I will collect it from you as you come
into the classroom tOll1orrow. Cumplete this statement on your card: 'The one
gift I want more than allytiIing is .' I will be reading everyolle's
,lIlswers in the cl;]ss. We wilillot kll()w whose responses they arc. The gift Olust be
something just for YOIl, though, and not for you r family or humanity,
"As you think of all the things you might want alld se lect one, be aware of
what this says that you value."
The day the assignment is due, collect the cards at the door as the students
enter to assure that you receive one from cach person. You may wish to read the
cards by yourself befOlc reading them to the class to note any themes or categories
of similarities <Jnwng theill.
As YOtl read the cards to the cl<Jss, tcllthe students to note which three gifts,
other than their OWl!, they would most like to receive if they could.
As a total class, ask the sludents tll note wlwt similarities t'hey found in the
choices of the gifts people wanted. What categories did the wishes encompass
(love, health, money, occupation, etc.)')
Divide the stlldents into groups to disCllSS the three gifts they would most
like for themselves from those chosen by members of the class, and why. If the
students wish, they call sli<Jre in their groups what their own choice of a gift was
I
,
why it is important to th em. Afler hearing what others wanted as their gifts,
the students can di sc uss whether they changed their minds as to the one gift they
would like tile most.
PRICELESS GIFTS?
EXERCISE 38.
Purposes:
Affective-- .
To encourage introspective thinking about another member of the
class
To develop further closeness and sharing in the class
To promo'te creativity, humor, anJ warmth
Lill"ui stic- .
b To have students write a personal mess3'ge wh'ich they wish [0
communi cate to anolher rr.ernber of the class
Levf'ls: All levels
Size ofgroups : T0tal class
Prucedures: This activity is most appropi'iate at the Christmas-Chanukah season
or jurinJ the last week or day of school.
Pbce the name 0 f every person in the cbs!; on a sepaw!e slip of paper and
fGld it. certain that no cne's name is overlooked. Include your nar.le as well.
;; bout two weeks before the date you will carry this out in class, have each
student pick aslip with dsc ' $ name on it. No Cont should have his/her c) wn
:lame. tklt anyone who is absent that day receives a UpOlO to
c: ia5s .
. InStruct t he students not (0 reveal whose name they pichd. Tell them te
make a gift which they will gi ve to the pe'rson who3e f.ame they pi cked. The gift
should f:( the person's particular personality and repre!;ent some things
tlley knew about the individu;,;\. They :.ire not to buy a gift for ,he oC'.: asion but
may spend up to a dollar if they need SOITle matuiais or to Dfepare tile gift.
In'lHe their originality.
Ask the students to wrap the present, put the person's 0'1 it, write on
acard a'i11essage whicl ', ;s appropriate for the person, and sign the card with their
name. Tell the students to see you if they neeel some i\elp in h.6w to say what they
want to 0'1 the card in tl e for eign language. Let the class know when the gifts Jre
to be exchanged. Remind the class several. times about the gifts, and ask them to
write a reminder to themselves the day before n;) one for get s to bring in the
gift. If you have siorage space whicb can be lockeu, have the students bring in t.he
gifts several days in advance to avoid this and to prevent someone not receiving a
gift because a person is absent the day of the exchange. .
Have the gifts in a central pbcc from which they are distributed. E:l 0h
person should open his/her messJge and read it Then have each individual , one at a
time, read the message aloud and show the gift to the"dass . Tlus activity can cre:l.te
. a very warm, glowing, fe eling in lhe class and is a fltt:ng vvay to end
winter 8 ;: summer vacation. The activity is also' fun.
-1
'I ,
EXERCiSE 47, FEELING l\HME
Purposes:
Affective
To how one is rlcscll,tly i"celiJlt;
To draw allention (0 how (Jtlters kel by comparison
For fUll
Unguistic-
To the vocabulary 01" feelings
To practicc ilsking ancl an"vcring questions and responding in the
I
To practice thc IIrst, second, and third persons s!'lgular in the present
"nd past tenses
To practice the subjunctive mood, if so desired
Levels: All leve,ls
Size o!grollps:2ight 10 twelve or can be done as a total class if (here are no more
than twenty in the group 'I
Proced/lres: The studenls are seated in a circle so everyone in the grodp can
one anoqler. student starts by turning to tile PC/' SOIl to the right and
"How dd YOIl right now"!" This person rcspolld
1
by lion verbally acting out
the elllotion preselltly feels. 'Fhe olhers in the group try to guess by asking
appropriate qu:estions: "Do you li:d anxious) " "DOlyOU fcel angry?" "Do you
feel excited?" focus prrsoll responds in the negative, "No, I don'! feel
anxious," etc!, until somCOII Gin the grnllp gucsses Then the focus
.\ I
person statcs the emotion and acts it out again while saying it : "[ feel excited right
now." I f I
TIle student to Ihe Id"t of the OIlC who illitial! , asked "I'low do you feel
right now?" sa;ys the following to the persun on the,light as s/he acts It out: "Jim
feels excited lright now. Iinw do you I,'cl lIow, IDolorrs?" The pattern
continues in tl /i s way}vith each PCbOIl SUlIllililriZintl and acting out how everyone
who has rcsPolfld,Cd so fill[ feels : "Jilll kcls <lx l"ilCd" I(acts it out), "Dolores feels
silly" (acts i\ ( lit), "Tilll fcels relaxed," (acts it ouq, etc, As the studl llts take
turns, the prlllJedure is as follows: Il asks A (he question, Then Casks 13, and 0
d
I .' I
"k' ,"" l(''''
All Aboutthe ,Excrcises 113
/
G _"
1
elC,
K
((
"
' .
L
" C-""U_A
TIlis means that the later students take a tUIII, (he l1lore feelings they will act
out and accredil to tlte owncrs of tltCllI, As tlte number or studcnts whosc fcclings
are to be remembered gets longer, tlte exercise I,lccomcs OIore humorous. The way
different students imitnle the teelings al so ildds enjoyment (0 Ihc activity.
Other tenses can be practiced in this exercise as weI!. For example, aftcr
everyone has had a tllrn, thc tcacher and/or students in each group can ask, "lIow
did Chuck say hc felt?" A member of Ihe group would respond, "Chuc!: said that
he felt worried." An altemate type of qucstion (ilal could be asked is : "lan, how
did you say Chuck fell?" Jan would reply, "I saiJ that Chuck felt worried."
Whenever the given emotion is mentioned, it nllist be aded out in pantomime as
it was by the pcrson who originai'ly dClllolistrated the feeling.
C
CHILDHOOD FAVf RITES
To leL.!1 pleaS;llIt cliildll(Hld Illelllorles
exchange the se InCiliUlies wllh ot .hers
Lingl.istic-
Ii I :1:0 I;OIL'tice nOllns .1IId possessive
r' '0 practtce aSKlllg alld answering qllestlOns
I practice the past tcnse(s)
I.nels:
Size vi+LIPs: Dyaus
Materials L ede<l: Dittus with questions til be Jskcd answered
PmceJu'rtls: Begin tile activity by talking ab0l childhood memories:
all hJve a illl!nbcr or c!lildholld me lories that made liS happy in some
w;IY . As we get ullkr, we telld not [() think ablut them very much. Yet to do so
helps us the gllod reelillgs we had at Ihe iOle.
I
1
"Today we're going to rccall sOllie of oU f. favorite things from childhood.
L:ach will h:1Ve a handout listing so'lne cr egllries.ln your groups take one
category tt a tillle. The firsl person will aSK second person a question, such as
'What YOllr favorite The second prson answers and then asks the
first perSl!!1 the sallle qllcstilln. It will now be to start a new rollnd of questions.
Rutatc who asks the qllestions tirst each time the same person does not do so
always.
"'n some cases , your answers will be brief. For other questions, they will
be Yon can :lsk one another auditional questions or add coillments, if YOll
wish. Yon will I1lld as YOllr partner answels that other memories will come back
tll yon. Whcn you fini sh all or th.: questions on the handout, add some of your
own categories to the list anu lake SDIlI\! extra turns using them."
Pass out tile dit[Os. Ilclc arc SOJlle possible categories that can be used :
WilEN YOU WERE A ClIILI), WHAT WIlD) WAS YOUR FAVORITE:
I. TlIY'! Why?
? lIoliday,! Why ')
3. Fuod'! Candy'! Why?
4. Play activity?
5. Book or story'! Why '!
G. Pla ce to go? Why?
7, Song?
8. Outfit'!
<J. "Iv prograill'! piligram'! Why?
10. i'lobby'!
II, Friend? Why?
11 . Grownup (other than famil y) ') Why?
13. Tt:;.khcr? Why?
I
All About the Exercises 121
I
14. Relative (nol a parent or guardian)? Why')
15. Memory of snow'!
i6. Memory at a beach or pooP
\7. Thing to do Ihat was
-f8.
Birthday'} Why'!
Comic strip')
!'J.
20. Ridc at the anlll sc llIe.ll park'!
When the exercise is completed, ask tlie students what their reactions to
this cx'pcrknce were and what tliey learned from it. Ask what other the
thought of. The groups may wish to have a few more rounds based on the
categories their classma tes thou glit of.
---
I
88 * ,Caring and Sharing in the Foreign Language Class
,I
Int roduce this awareness as
I
"We all have many strengths. Some of them we are <!ware of. Yet others
I see strengths in us that we do not realize we have.
I "Take a piece of paper and write down the names of everyone in your
i
group. l3elow the names, write two of the strengths you see in each one in your
group. Then write your own name and list as many of your strengths as you can
think of. You will have (length of time) five minutes to write down a number of
your st rengths and two strengths for each person in your group. You will be
sharil;g what YOll write later."
After the class finishes this phase of the exercise , continue '
"YCll !lew will focus on c'ne person at a time. The who begin wii!
read J.il ...he strengths they have written about themselves . Then the others in tbe
group 'will share what streng1hs they see in focus wh,ile the student tu
, the rig:1t of the focus writes them down , After everyone h3S been the focus pers;m ,
give the list of recorded strengths to the owner to keep,"
\l,.lle:l the aClivity is done, ask students to discr: s in their smJIl groups anci !
or ,he iotal group:
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I" Did anyone say sOi!;ethi ng ,ilal. surpri sttl YC) u')


.., Which strength that SOme llne else sees in you me:mr rhe n:, ,)st to yuu' )
"
". '/, 3. T,-, wilut extent was your Est of strwgt hs similar to or dirrerelit fr olr.
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the one others in your group find in you'!
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4. What reacti ons tlo you have to this activit y?
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5. What did you learn frorn this exercise';
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'-:: m:dude the activity by discussing at one or two of the Jhove
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tiOilS in the tot31 group. This exercise should be useG once tire students are wei;

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acquainteci to know a num be r 'ji' si,rengths of their :Iassmates.
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I, llearneJ ur Ihis exercise al a wur!<s hop given by and Joan Tetens and
Gurdon.
ElaiM Goldman used lhi s a' workshop in whi ch I participaleJ,.
3. V;JrL.Hlon iJf thi s i'S an Jlbptation of those usually referred to as Strengrll
\)1 th"'t technique is Hl!rbert A. Otto.
I karneJ of rhis iJLa at a wurk <hop conduc ted by Jerry .
.5. The ,:ePII.;! rh<m< fur this <"ereise ' V;l< devel oped from ail idea of Keith Milkr.
6. Al.:t:vicil.: s in which posit ive feedback are commonly usect in
hurr.Jni::tic :.: 1J 5SI.!5 and \ldHk ... Df i day or to e!'1d J. sessi o n.
7. H<rbert A, Olro Jcwl.' peJ ih. idea this slralegY..
8, Tl1Jnk, to lkrbert A. 0 1 to. rll< origimtoi uf the idea for Ihis activity.
My M!'lnories
,\I(' ll1(lr i eJ 1(:;111 I/I f! corners of 111)' mind.
.1li.uy H'l'ltl1r' l"o/ur IIl clllc"' rif's of lite Wll)' \\Ie \'.'(re.
- - I\hn :iIHJ h.brilytl Ucrgman
AlthOllgh some u( the ,Hher exercises encollrag.: stlldClds to silG!"c evcnts from the
past, those ill "Illy .. kll"Hies" tend to be lighter ifl !lalllre. Ti>cy arc the refore
to being u:icd curli.::r in the ye,lr wilen Ihe sludents ;;re gelling acqu:linted.
In Ihese aotivjli" s the stlldellts U!' " bClierally :t,ked 10 recall pl c2silnl, hUlllorous, or
fuvorile IllCIllO!'ie s of as a means or getting 10 know wh;;t werc
like in the pa st.
51. NAME GAMEl
Plir/'oses:
AfCective
To nutl! ihe Sit! lllficallce peopic's Ilailies have for others
To fa cilitate ieallling lIiC Ilamcs of Illembers of the class
Lillgllistic
To practice "because" stLltclllcnl s
To placllc'e explesslOlb in J ivlllg n:tlnes of people
l ,ul"'/I: to "dV.IIIl"l'ti, the begillning levcl would h:tve I.) carry out the
activity in lite native iall gllllgC since exercisc is intended for II!c I\.r sl or second
lesson llr the sciltlol )' 0:11.
STojgmop' Ii" 10 ,i,
l irucedllres : Tltis activity wOllld Wille arter one or more exerci:;es III which Ii. :
of studenls Wei C I! .i cd. This coull! lake thc for.1l of excrc;i, cs in wlt;clt
were gi vell llr where Ilallld-tags been worn (see Exercise I,
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I[ lite students arc wearllig a! tillS pOint ask them to remove them
nnd pUI litell) fa ce down.
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Next lell tht: stllli elllS to write Ull j' VIl as Illnny first names [IS they can
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rt lllcillber of pcopk Ihey did IIllt klluw before, Allow a couple of minutes for
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