Update On Visualization Activities I’m Doing With ELL Students

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I previously shared a fairly popular post about how I was using visualization activities with my English Language Learner students (see HOW I’M USING VISUALIZATION WITH MY ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER STUDENTS).

I thought readers might be interested in some updates…

As I mentioned in that post, I’m doing it in my Long-Term ELL Support Class and in my ELL U.S. History class.

I asked students in both classes to write on a sheet of paper – anonymously – either:

Yes, I like the visualization activity because ____________________ or No, I’m not doing the visualization activity.

Everybody has to close their eyes and be silent and motionless when we do it, but I obviously can’t control what they are doing with their minds.

Here are the results:

In the Long Term ELL Support class:

Four students wrote No, I’m not doing the visualization activity.

Everyone else said they liked doing it.

Here are some of their comments:

I like doing the visualization activity because it makes me feel relaxed and calm.

I like doing the visualization activity because it helps me concentrate.

I like doing the visualization activity because it helps me remember many things.

I like doing the visualization activity because it makes me start my day better. [Note: our class is first period].

I like doing the visualization activity because it helps me think and don’t worry about other things.

I like doing the visualization activity because it feel like seeing myself in the future.

In the ELL U.S. History Class (this class is the last period of the day):

One student wrote that he wasn’t doing it.

All the rest said they liked doing it.

Here are some of their comments:

I like doing the visualization activity because it is good for our English.

I like doing the visualization activity because I relax.

I like doing the visualization activity because everyone feeling calm and it also help me to think about our future.

I like doing the visualization activity because we can think about what happened today and myself.

I like doing the visualization activity because I like to thinking.

I like doing the visualization activity because it help me to learn easy.

I like doing the visualization activity because relax me and when we finish I feel good.

I like doing the visualization activity because important for our brain.

I like doing the visualization activity because I have to think and know what I’m going to do in my class. And also because I need to know English more.

I like doing the visualization activity because I imagine what happens.

Obviously, we will continue doing it for two-to-five minutes each day, beginning prior to the official bell ringing.

Also, even though I think I have a relatively soothing voice, now and then I play an audio I find online just for a change. Again, the visualizations are focused towards goals and achievement, and not just relaxing meditation.

Here are a couple of the online guided visualizations I’ve found (I play them at a slower speed). Let me know if you have suggestions of others: