Take a look at these classroom exercises suggested by Mario Rinvolucri, one of the foremost methodologists and teachers in the world of ESL. Would you be willing to do any of them in your classes? If so, what do you think your students would gain from such exercises that they couldn't from more "tame" exercises? If you would never present such exercises, why not?
Example 1
Set this homework: "Each time you switch an electrical switch on or off, notice how you are feeling and what you are thinking about." Then, in the next class, ask people to report in small groups on the switchings they remember.
(I learnt this Gurdjieff idea from my colleague Simon Marshall.)
Example 3
Ask the students to work individually and to make a list of emotions (eg fear, reverence, anger, jealousy, joy, surprise, alarm). Ask each person to cross out any of these emotions he or she has not experienced. Then pair the students and ask them to tell each other of times when they have experienced each of the emotions they have not crossed out. Also ask them to tell each other which sensory channels they link with each emotion.
Next, ask the students to work individually and write a page about their experiencing of one of the emotions. Then group the students into fours to read each other's compositions.
Example 4
Bring a dozen resonant objects to class. Before you lay them out, ask the students to close their eyes. Strike each and ask the students to describe the qualities of each sound and to guess the substances struck.If you want to get your hands on more activity ideas like these, have a look at On Love and Psychological Exercises by A.R. Orage.
http://www.clarity.com.hk/teaching-s...rinvolucri.htm
