Review, Refresh, Recycle

Review is an important part of any educational program as concepts need to be reinforced before new ones are presented. In language education, especially second language education, it is important to allow for transitions and time for review due to the fact that the language may only be heard in the classroom setting. Without adequate review, refresher and recycle activities, teachers can make the assumption that students have “learned” material when in fact, they have not had the time or opportunity to understand and remember what they are learning. In this section we will discuss review, practice, warm-up, refresher, and recycle activities and their role in the language classroom.

Review Activities

Review activities involve going over what has been covered in previous lessons in the RECENT past. When skills and concepts are reviewed, they become an integrated part of the learner's developing skill set that allows the learner to use the concept with more automaticity. Review activities also provide a means for the teacher to assess the learners' grasp of the material and spot mistakes that can be corrected before moving on to the next topic.

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Practice Activities

Practice is an especially important part of learning a language. Without adequate time and opportunity for students to apply their learning and practice it(Getting It), students will be unable to fully understand and remember what they have learned. Research has shown that it takes three to five instances of repetition and/or exposure for new material, such as new words, to be imprinted in the student’s mind. Teachers need to develop a repertoire of practice activities so that students can practice in different ways and not become bored or unmotivated when learning concepts.

Warm-Ups

Warm-ups occur at the beginning of a lesson in order to facilitate transitions from other classes or environments to the language classroom. It is important for teachers to understand that students not only need to transition to a new subject but also a new language. Teachers can use a routine activity such as playing music or an activity on the black or white board to help students transition and warm-up in preparation for learning.

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Recycle Activities

A recycle activity is something that is done from unit to unit so that student memory can be activated and teachers can judge what needs to be further reviewed in their lessons. For example, at the beginning of a new unit, the teacher may give a refresher quiz from units previous but may use new contexts in order to see if students are able to transfer what they have learned to new situations. It is important to recycle material throughout the whole school year; teachers should not assume that just because material has been covered and tested that students have mastered that material.

Refresher Activities

A refresher activity is something that may be done at the beginning of the year to assess what students have learned previously and to activate memories of material from previous years.