2. ENVIRONMENTAL ChEMISTRy & TEChNOLOGy 2.1. Lectures

Chem. Listy, 102, s265–s1311 (2008) Environmental Chemistry & Technology
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each vocabulary section is competed with a hyperlink
going to Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary which is
soundtracked
each lesson is completed with a substantial number of
hyperlinks going to various sound tracked specific articles,
animations, video recordings, demonstrations etc.
that can be utilized for this purpose.
Exposing students to the culturally authentic sources as
much as possible. (e.g. videotapes, radio and TV broadcasts,
films, songs etc.) – this material has long been advocated
by foreign language educators as stimulating pedagogical
aids. One of the best sources of the authentic materials for
classroom instructions is the Internet. Target language sites
accessed through the Internet offer both teachers and students
a wealth of authentic materials. The advantage of such
materials is that they are current and readily available. Their
topicality can be easily maintained by the regular visits of
these web sites. That is why we completed the individual lessons
with hyperlinks going to various specific video sections,
songs, soundtracked animations, classroom instructions etc.
However, it is important to remember, that the documents
found on the Web, like all authentic materials, have
been created by and for native speakers of the language.
That means they are not written with the language learning
in mind. For this purpose we assessed these documents from
the perspective of their general understandability first. Then
we have completed these materials with the tasks that suit
even the less proficient students.
Ad (ii) The different language experience of our students
We tried to meet the needs of the less proficient students
by creating each textbook lesson in two versions. Firstly it
is a printable version which the student will print and bring
with him/ her to the class. Its format leaves plenty of space
for writing down student’s own answers. Secondly, each unit
has also the version completed with the clues to all exercises.
This serves mainly to the less advanced ones to go through
the explain subject matter at home again and check their
answers or possibly to look up the correct answers.
Besides, each lesson is ended with a short self test enabling
the students to evaluate their comprehension.
Ad (iii) Unwillingness to learn vocabulary and idioms
by memorizing
Experts say that most of people must hear a new word
30 times to remember it forever. To know a word and instantly
understand it, you probably need to hear it 50–100 times. The
students must know that it is not enough to listen to a new
word just once or twice. As the time allocation of our classes
do not allow to practice repetitive listening to much at school,
the students are strongly recommended to go to all the listening
material again at their leisure, e.g. at home, and repeat
all the listening activities as many times as possible.
Ad (iv) How to engage the students who are tired from
the previous “more important” classes? The answer is: make
the English for chemists fun.
s349
Here the Internet makes a great aid again. We can use
various science/chemistry oriented humor, interactive quizzes,
crossword puzzles and various songs created by native
students and teachers with the aim to bring fun and entertainment
into their chemistry classes. Songs make excellent
memory boosters. AS most people have strong musical
memory, we take can advantage of this fact to make memorization
and learning easier. Putting words to music instantly
makes those words more memorable.
Besides memorizing song verses our learners can profit
from retelling the jokes, playing memory boosting quizzes
(e.g. flash cards), solving crosswords etc.
This can be effectively completed with the popular game
based on the repetition of the words. Everybody who has ever
visited a language school will sure the remember the game
called: In our local super market we can buy/I will pack into
my suitcase … Its variations on the premises of our school
sound: In our chemistry laboratory we have … (the names
of various laboratory equipment follow) .../Breathing carbon
monoxide will cause… (Symptoms of CO poisoning)/Iodine
deficiency causes… etc, etc.
Ad (v) Shyness to speak
During a semester students must prepare their own mini-
presentations to meet one of the necessary conditions of getting
a credit. Prior this activity they are provided with all the
necessary phrases and expressions so that they learn how
to address the audience, introduce themselves, express the
purpose of the paper/presentation, signpost the presentation,
move on in the course of it, describe the pictures, verbalize
graphical data, ask checking-up questions, invite questions,
finish the presentation… Though the students are encouraged
to use the topics which have been explained in the classes,
they widely use the Internet again as a rich source of additional
information.
We managed to incorporate two funny chemistry oriented
dramas into a lesson. The plays come from the Internet
and where created by the native authors without the language
learning objective. However, our students find them
very entertaining and participate enthusiastically in dramatic
readings.
This activity also fits a multilevel class as the students
are given the freedom in adapting the sentences. So the less
advanced can make their entries less complicated and simpler,
while the more advanced ones enjoy the full versions of
their roles. Dramatization engages students emotionally and
socially, as well as intellectually. The students thoroughly
enjoy it, and it leaves strong, memorable impressions which
can later help recall and improve learning. Thus at the end of
the activity they are able to repeat various catch phrases by
heart (e.g. thanks to the plays “Becoming an alcohol – a sad
story of good oxygen becoming bad”, or “Electrophilic Addition”
they will long remember structures as: “My mom has
always warned me against organic acids”, “It is against the
rule. What rule? Markovnikov’s rule!” Aren’t my electrons
good enough for you? “Along comes electron hogging