Blending Technology and Effective L2 Pedagogy

Emergency Remote Teaching

using WhatsApp

Colm.downes@britishcouncil.org - May 16, 2020

www.britishcouncil.org
bit.ly/RemoteTeachingTips
Getting Started
• Permission and privacy: Many learners might not have a mobile phone of their own and so
you will be sending messages to them via their parents phone.
– It’s not recommended for teachers to connect directly with younger learners on their mobile
phones. You will need to get permission from their parents to set up the groups.

• Data usage: Some people won’t have a lot of data available for the lesson content. Think about
how you can share content using only text or small files.

• Group rules: As students are already hooked to digital communication platforms it is very
important to set ground rules like the following to be followed strictly. Here are some possible
rules you could use:
– No good morning / good night messages
– No personal messages
– No forwarded irrelevant information / message
– No sharing of activities of one group with other groups (creates confusion among students of
other classes).
Pedagogical principles
WhatsApp is an excellent medium to communicate with students out of class. Remember the
use of WhatsApp is usually used as an asynchronous teaching tool, and very rarely a synchronous
tool. You don’t know when your messages are going to be read of responded to.

• Establish a routine: Set tasks for learners to do whenever they can but make yourself available
at specific times each day to answer questions. This also helps parents know when their kids
need to use their phones.

• Get students to keep a record: Even though they’re receiving the input on a mobile, ask your
learners to have one notebook where they do all the work you give them. This will help them to
review the language they’re learning.

• Receiving work from students: Depending on the task, learners might send you their work
using text, an audio file or a photo of work they have done.
– For self study materials with a fixed answer – you can simply send the answer key later.
– Personalisation of tasks will require each student to reply with a different response. These
responses may give a better indication of learning and will be more engaging.
Getting Started
• Create a WhatsApp group for one - ‘a sandpit’. This is a space where you can prepare,
practice your WhatsApp messages before sending them to your students.
– You need to add at least one person to create a group. That person can be anyone. But to be
on the safer side and to avoid trouble, add a close friend or a family member. The reason for
that is you need to remove them once you add them.

• Set up one group for the whole class which is ‘broadcast only’. This means only you (the
group administrator) can send messages.
– Once you’ve set up the group, go to ‘Group settings’ and choose ‘Only admins’ under ‘Send
messages’. Use this group to share important information with the whole class and their
parents when you don’t need them to respond.

• Planning is key. Plan a programme of work for your students that you can deliver by phone. Try
to plan a week of lessons or content at a time. Write down what you want your students to have
learned by the end of the week.
Providing Input
• Setting Tasks You can send a short video to say hello to your learners and tell them the plan
for the next few days, each week. You can also send your message as text for learners with
limited data.

• Record your voice: It’s easy to share new vocabulary items. Try sharing a few words each day.
You can share photos of objects or drawings to explain the words. You can record yourself
saying the words and send the audio file.

• Use paper and send a photo: You can draw out diagrams or what you might show on the
board in the classroom on a piece of paper. Take a photo of it and send it to the group – it
might be easier to do that sometimes than writing information out as a text message.
Quick Wins https://bit.ly/ExamBoasterA2/

• Send PDF free worksheets

– Ideally the task first, and then send the answers later.

READING AND WRITING PART 4 1

Complete the sentences with the correct alternatives.

Sports and games 3a
1. When I cycled / was cycling in the park, I saw / was seeing Cristina.
Put the words for sports and games into the correct
1a 2. I hurt my leg while I played / was playing football.
part of the table.
3. I called / was calling you at 8 o’clock last night, but you didn’t answer. What did you do / were
you doing?
chess exercise fishing
4. We were so late for the match that they already played / were already playing when we arrived.
football golf karate skiing
5. We played / were playing tennis when it started raining, so we stopped / were stopping.
swimming tennis
6. Did you go / Were you going skiing when you were in Austria?
7. I forgot / was forgetting to bring my badminton racket, but Fay had two so she lent / was lending
go play do me one.
8. I met / was meeting a really interesting man when I fished / was fishing yesterday.

Write a few sentences about a sport that you like.

3b

Look at the table. Are there any rules about which verb to use with which nouns? Can you add
1b
more words for sports or games to the table?

Exam task
Read the article about tennis.
2
Choose the best word (A, B or C) for each space.

Tennis
The English name ‘tennis’ comes from the French word ‘tenez’, which means ‘to hold’. When the first
game of tennis was played hundreds of years ago, people (1) ................ their hands to hit the ball.
Now, of course, we have rackets (2) ................ .

In the (3) ................ game of tennis, a player (4) ................ to get four points to win a game,
and six games to win a set. In women’s tennis, a player wins the match by winning two sets. This is
(5) ................ the same in men’s tennis but, in some competitions, men need to win three sets to win
a match.

If two people play against each other, it is called a singles match. If there are two players on each side,
it is (6) ................ a doubles match.

1 A gave B used C took

2 A anymore B else C instead Exam facts
3 A available B ready C modern
In this part, you read a short text – for example from an encyclopedia or article.
4 A has B should C must
5 A especially B usually C extremely There are six missing words in the text.
6 A called B known C said You have to choose the correct word (A, B or C) to complete each space.

© Cambridge University Press and © Cambridge University Press and

30 READING AND WRITING | PART 4 | 1 Cambridge Assessment 2020 Cambridge Assessment 2020
READING AND WRITING | PART 4 | 1 31
 READING AND WRITING PART 4 1

Complete the sentences with the correct alternatives.

Sports and games 3a
1. When I cycled / was cycling in the park, I saw / was seeing Cristina.
Put the words for sports and games into the correct
1a 2. I hurt my leg while I played / was playing football.
part of the table.
3. I called / was calling you at 8 o’clock last night, but you didn’t answer. What did you do / were
you doing?
chess exercise fishing
4. We were so late for the match that they already played / were already playing when we arrived.
football golf karate skiing
5. We played / were playing tennis when it started raining, so we stopped / were stopping.
swimming tennis
6. Did you go / Were you going skiing when you were in Austria?
7. I forgot / was forgetting to bring my badminton racket, but Fay had two so she lent / was lending
go play do me one.
8. I met / was meeting a really interesting man when I fished / was fishing yesterday.

Write a few sentences about a sport that you like.

3b

Look at the table. Are there any rules about which verb to use with which nouns? Can you add
1b
more words for sports or games to the table?

Exam task
Read the article about tennis.
2
Choose the best word (A, B or C) for each space.

Tennis
The English name ‘tennis’ comes from the French word ‘tenez’, which means ‘to hold’. When the first
game of tennis was played hundreds of years ago, people (1) ................ their hands to hit the ball.
Now, of course, we have rackets (2) ................ .

In the (3) ................ game of tennis, a player (4) ................ to get four points to win a game,
and six games to win a set. In women’s tennis, a player wins the match by winning two sets. This is
(5) ................ the same in men’s tennis but, in some competitions, men need to win three sets to win
a match.

If two people play against each other, it is called a singles match. If there are two players on each side,
it is (6) ................ a doubles match.

1 A gave B used C took

2 A anymore B else C instead Exam facts
3 A available B ready C modern
4 A has B should C must In this part, you read a short text – for example from an encyclopedia or article.

5 A especially B usually C extremely There are six missing words in the text.
6 A called B known C said You have to choose the correct word (A, B or C) to complete each space.

https://bit.ly/ExamBoasterA2/
© Cambridge University Press and © Cambridge University Press and
30 READING AND WRITING | PART 4 | 1 Cambridge Assessment 2020 Cambridge Assessment 2020
READING AND WRITING | PART 4 | 1 31
Digital Learning Associates: Ready to Run

https://bit.ly/IDReadytoRun/ R2RPROFREE /
Digital Learning Associates: Ready to Run

https://bit.ly/IDReadytoRun/ R2RPROFREE /
Digital Learning Associates: Ready to Run

https://bit.ly/IDReadytoRun/ R2RPROFREE /
Digital Learning Associates: Ready to Run

https://bit.ly/IDReadytoRun/ R2RPROFREE /
Quick Wins https://bit.ly/COVID19-ActivityBook/

• Adapt authentic material for use with your students

Quick Wins https://bit.ly/COVID19-ActivityBook/

• Adapt authentic material for use with your students

WhatsApp Messages
TASK *Coronavirus Vocabulary Lesson*
*LEVEL: B1*
*TIME: 30 mins* *DATE: 16 May*

*TASK 1* Read the following short text on social distancing and fill in the gaps using the following verbs. Make sure the verbs are in the correct form.
*close, stop, play, build, communicate, keep, read, take*

*WHAT IS SOCIAL DISTANCING?*

You may have heard about the importance of “social distancing.” This is also called physical distancing, or (1) at least 6 feet between you and
other people. This may include changes in your community, like schools and restaurants (2) and your favourite activities being cancelled
or postponed. It can be hard to (3) time away from your friends and activities, but it’s important to (4) the virus from
spreading. Social distancing doesn’t have to be boring or lonely! You can (5) games, do art, (6) a book, or even (7)
a fort! You can also (8) with your friends and relatives through video chats or phone calls.

*TASK 2* Write a 5 sentences about your lifestyle at the moment using the verbs above.
*TASK 3* Record an audio message telling the group what you like, and what you don’t like, about staying at home. Here is mine as an example.
*Deadline* 16.00

ASNWER *ANSWERE KEY*

*Coronavirus Vocabulary Lesson*
*TASK 1*
1. keeping 2. closing 3. take 4. stop 5.play 6. read 7. build. 8. communicate.
WhatsApp allows you to format text inside
your messages.
Italic
To italicize your message, place an underscore on both sides of the text:

_text_

Bold
To bold your message, place an asterisk on both sides of the text:

*text*

Strikethrough
To strikethrough your message, place a tilde on both sides of the text:

~text~

Alternatively, you can use shortcuts on Android and iPhone.

•Android: Tap and hold the text you're entering in the text field, then choose Bold, Italic, or More. Tap More to choose Strikethrough.
•iPhone: Tap the text you’re entering in the text field > Select or Select All > B_I_U. Then, choose Bold, Italic, Strikethrough.
WhatsApp Lesson Plan

Emergency Remote Teaching

using WhatsApp
Name: __________________________
E mail: __________________________
Date: __________________________

www.britishcouncil.org
LESSON PLAN
TOPIC

AGE / LEVEL

AIMS

PROCEDURE

MESSAGES

ANSWER KEY
PADLET
USE WHATSAPP WEB
Thank you
Colm Downes, Interim Country Director
Colm.Downes@britishcouncil.org

www.britishcouncil.org @idbritish British Council Indonesia @idbritish