From Shyness to Speaking: How Puppetry Improved My Student's English

- T Silambarasi

As a primary school teacher, I noticed that some of my students could understand simple English but were hesitant to speak. They were afraid of making mistakes and often remained silent during classroom conversations. I wanted to create a comfortable environment where they could speak without fear. This led me to introduce puppetry into my English classroom.

I began with simple activities such as greetings, self introduction, naming objects, describing pictures and talking about daily routines. I used hand puppets to make these activities enjoyable. In the “Talk Spot” activity, students worked in pairs and used puppets to practise short conversations. I also used the story “Kili’s New Dress,” through which students listened, repeated sentences and performed short dialogues.

At first, some students spoke very softly and avoided participating. A few were even hesitant to hold the puppet. Instead of forcing them to speak, I encouraged them through pair work, small group practice and positive feedback. Gradually, they became more comfortable.

After regular practice, I observed noticeable changes. Students participated more actively, spoke more clearly and showed greater confidence

 using simple English sentences. Some children who were initially very shy began volunteering to speak and interact with their classmates.

The most important change was not grammatical accuracy but confidence. The puppet acted as a friendly bridge between the child and the language. It created a safe space where children could make mistakes, learn from them and try again.

This experience taught me that effective language learning does not always require expensive resources. A simple puppet, a supportive teacher and regular opportunities to speak can help a shy child find their voice.

Puppetry has therefore become a meaningful part of my English classroom, helping my students move from shyness to speaking and from hesitation to confidence.

(D SILAMBARASI , SGT PUPS MELMANAVOOR , VELLORE RURAL BLOCK , VELLORE DISTRICT)