‘It is a quarter past seven.’ ‘It is a quarter to five.’ ‘It is twenty past two.’ Repetition was the order of the day as we guided the children of Gandarawatte through telling the time in English.Finding that the members of the young adult group had a basic knowledge of how to tell the time using digital terminology, we developed their ability by introducing terminology more typical of everyday English, referring to minutes past and to the hour. We used a cardboard clock with moveable hands as a key teaching aid, and also formed a ‘human clock’ with extended arms, providing a useful visual aspect to the lesson. The students seemed to really enjoy the session where their participation was successfully encouraged.

With the younger children our task for the day was to familiarise them with the days of the week in English. A considerable amount of time was spent encouraging them to correctly enunciate the vocabulary, before we added variety to the lesson with activities such as recital while moving around in a conga line!

With the older children we used flashcards to teach the days of the week and months of the year. Although the class was large, by splitting off into groups we were able to ensure that each child understood and could pronounce the vocab. Individual participation was also fostered as we covered birthdays.

The days lessons were complimented by sporting activities and dancing in preparation for the cultural show, contributing to another productive day.