Vision Boards are artistic representations of one's thoughts and dreams. They can be great tools to get students talking in language classrooms. They can be literal or symbolic, and people who follow The Law of Attraction, or The Secret, use them to evaluate what they want for themselves in the future. Even those who do not follow The Secret use them for daily inspiration, but vision boards can also be used in language classrooms. Use them as educational tools to inspire dialogue.
How Should Instructors Introduce Vision Boards?
Instructors will first introduce their class to vision boards by telling them a little bit about the history of vision boards and showing them examples. This will get students motivated. In any case, students are there to learn to improve themselves. Also, instructors should tell their classes that they can use their vision boards as a daily learning tool if they put words on them and as a daily reminder of the goals they want to achieve.
Should Vision Boards be Made During Class?
Instructors should encourage students to make the vision boards in class to reinforce language attainment with a sensory activity. Students retain more when they associate learning with as many senses as possible. Making time for this activity in class will make the project entertaining and educational for the student.
Ask students to gather unwanted magazines prior to class and encourage them to be as creative as possible. Instructors can even have them discuss their choices in magazines before they start working on the boards.
First, have students make a list of what they want in life. Then, have them cut out words and images that appeal to them. These words and images can include quotes, pictures that make them happy like flowers, family members and smiley faces, or actual material items such as cars and homes. Finally, have students paste those items to paper or cardboard.
How Large Should Vision Boards Be?
ESL instructors can decide to make vision boards big or small, but allowing the students to make the choice will be more motivating. Postcard-sized vision boards may be used for small or short term goals such as finishing a book, learning the cha-cha or planning a reunion, while larger poster-sized boards may be used for bigger and longer term goals such as planning a family, getting a degree or learning a new language.
What Language Skills Can Students Learn Through Sharing Vision Boards?
When students have completed their vision boards, instructors should have them sit in a circle and discuss the meaning of their images. This sharing of ideas will give students motivation and practice in using the different tenses and parts of speech. Advanced students can practice adjectives, adverbs, conditional tenses and future tenses, while beginning students can practice nouns, verbs, present tenses and future tenses.
Neither instructors nor students need to believe in the Law of Attraction to put vision boards to good use. Vision boards make particularly good lesson plans for all ages around the end or beginning of the year when students are making New Year’s resolutions. The visual and oral stimulation achieved through the use of vision boards to encourage dialogue will do wonders for helping students learn.
