For a lesson on opinions, co-teacher Ismi Purnama decided to bring some current issues into the 10th-grade classroom. She and ETA Natasha Anis wanted to encourage students to speak in English about issues that non-Indonesians might be interested in.

First, Natasha asked the students if they knew what was currently going on in Indonesia, and asked the students to explain why people were protesting. Ismi helped assist students with new vocabulary to explain the protests, such as “new laws” and “legislature.” Then, students went to the board to write something they knew about the new laws, the protests, or even just their opinions of what was going on in the country.

Next, the class played 4-corner game, in which Natasha and Ismi would say a statement related to the new laws or protests more generally, and then students would stand in corners depending on their opinions. They would then discuss why they chose that particular corner with each other, and then share it out to the class. Natasha and Ismi emphasized opinion vocabulary such as “I think” and “I feel.”

Students were excited to discuss their own opinions, and many students seemed to change their opinions throughout the course of class depending on their classmate’s arguments!

Natasha Anis is currently teaching at SMAN 10 Samarinda, East Kalimantan.