Activity II–1: Class Survey

Activity II–1: Class Survey
Highlights: Class surveys are fun and not overly challenging. They are very effective as icebreaking activities, especially at the beginning of a course. They also let learners know that class
will be more than sitting at a desk and copying the teacher’s words. It is important to do something
with the survey information. Otherwise, there is no intrinsic reason for gathering the information.
Therefore, plan ways to process the information. Note: Make sure the survey questions are
appropriate to the class. For example, if everyone in the group is from Mexico, then asking, “What
country are you from?” will not be pertinent. Similarly, asking a group of elderly seniors, “How
many of your children go to school?” may not be appropriate. Watch for American cultural taboos
about age, money, religion, etc. Also, make sure not to inadvertently ask about an uncomfortable
topic.
Objective: Learners gather information about a particular topic. They increase proficiency and
confidence in asking one or more questions at the same time as they are increasing graphic literacy
skills.
Context: This class survey activity is especially useful for beginning levels because not much
information needs to be asked or recorded and only one or two questions and answers need to be
learned. Surveys can be used with higher levels if more complex questions and answers are
required. Surveys are suitable for general ESL classes, but can also be tailored to a workplace (see
examples that follow).
Estimated time: Time varies according to how much information is gathered. In the literacy- or
beginning-level class, a survey might consist of one question that simply requires students to ask and
record the name of every person in class (either first or last, but probably not both at once). In a
more advanced class, a survey might require students to ask and record the names of television
shows watched and time spent watching these shows in the past week. In both of these cases, the
time to do the survey will vary according to how many learners there are in the class, and how long it
takes for the spelling and the recording to take place. Note: If information gathering takes more than
20-30 minutes, you might consider debriefing during the next class session.
Materials: The teacher needs to make a survey form so learners can easily ask the question or
questions and record answers. If the information is going to be gathered into a simple bar graph or
pie chart, or recorded on flip chart paper, this needs to be ready in advance.
Procedure:
1. Build on what learners already know (e.g., the common question, “Where are you from?”).
Therefore, pre-teach and practice the questions and vocabulary needed to answer the questions.
For example, in a class where learners are collecting information about native countries, record
the names of those countries in advance so that students have the information available to them.
2. Hand out the survey forms and explain the task to learners. (They need to walk around the room
asking everyone the question and recording the answers).
3. Model the procedures with one or two learner volunteers and check comprehension of
instructions. For example, ask, “What are the questions on the survey form?” “How many
people will you talk to today?”
4. Once learners begin to complete the survey, monitor the process and be ready to assist learners if
they ask for help. Note: Don’t be alarmed if you see someone copying from another’s paper or
someone writing information down right on the questioner’s sheet. The main idea is to get