Teacher training workshop for English teachers featuring lots of tips and practical ideas on how to use educational technology #EdTech to teach current events in the #ESL classroom.
1. Teaching Current Events in
the ESL Classroom
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David Burns
Peace Corps Response
Univ. Latina – Santa Cruz, Costa Rica
7 April 2015
2.
3. Contact Information
• David Burns – Santa Cruz, Guanacaste
• www.facebook.com/EnglishOnTheMove
• www.facebook.com/Rayuelando
• ‘Like’ my Facebook page for updates and links
to TEFL topics, lesson plans, photos, teaching
ideas, and more!
• Email: EnglishOnTheMove27@gmail.com
• Mobile: 8416 2367
4. Get Your Students’ Attention
• One, Two, Three – Eyes on me!
(Teacher)
• One, Two – Eyes on you! (Students)
6. Alliteration Name Game
• Introductions
• Public Speaking
• Memorization
• Subject & Possessive Pronouns (She, her)
• Vocabulary for JOBS
• Descriptive Adjectives
• Alliteration (repetition of the same sound)
7. If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.
8. Procrastination
• Procrastination – Procrastinate –
Procrastinators:
• Practice conditionals (C2)
• If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing
would ever get done.
• Nothing would ever get done, if it weren’t
for the last minute.
• Would anything ever get done if it weren’t
for the last minute?
9. Ice-breaker!
• Introduction name/memory game.
• Organize your students in a standing circle and
explain the game.
• Each student will give their name, followed by an
imaginary profession that starts with the same
letter as the 1st
letter of their name.
• “My name is David and I am a ____________.
• The following student must first remember all
the previous names and jobs and then introduce
themselves.
10. Where Do You Get Your News?
International (English)
• CNN
• New York Times
• Washington Post
• BBC
• The Guardian
• Al-Jazeera English
• VOA (VOA 60)
• NPR
Costa Rica
• La Nacion
• La Teja
• Tico Times
• TeleTica
• TV/Radio
• Radio2
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18. American English On-line
• http://exchanges.state.gov/americanenglishon
• Sing Out Loud
http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/resfo
• Shaping the Way We Teach English
http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/r
esforteach/pubcat/teach-res-
mat/teachtech/shapingway.html
33. Writing & Speaking Prompts
• CreativeWritingPrompts.com
• WritersDigest.com
• Creative-Writing-Solutions.com
• Quick exercise using any prompt from one
of the above websites.
37. Selecting Articles
• There is news about everything.
• Plan by level:
– Level 1: personal information, transportation.
– Level 2: geographical places, qualities &
attributes of people, recycling, sports.
– Level 3: Nationalities, music, lifestyle.
– Level 4: World problems, environment.
– Level 5: Family concept, mass media, human
rights, democracy, philosophy, religion, etc.
38. Selecting Articles
• Select and translate.
• For English articles: even those with complex
vocabulary can be modified.
• Simplify the language;
shorten the article.
• Or – if not modified,
use the vocabulary;
use the article for a
longer period of time.
40. Speaking - Reading - Writing
• Reading + Writing =
increased fluency.
• Building vocabulary
• Free writing
• Personal writing
• Reading response
• News journal
• Writing/speaking with
prompts
• Group storytelling
41. Acronyms: What does____ stand for?
• News sources:
• AP
• UPI
• CNN
• BBC
• NPR
• AFP
• RAI
• TVE
• Famous groups:
• UNICEF
• UNESCO
• UNHCR
• MSF
• FBI, CIA, Interpol
• NASA
• WWF
• GATT, WTO
42. World Map
• www.printableworldmap
.net
• Start with a blank map.
• Use colors to identify
countries.
• Label the map as you
read articles.
• Specific geographical
regions.
• World history, travel,
capital cities, languages.
43. Activity!
Geography – Map
• Teachers needs to have one large world map on
the wall (or multiple, smaller printable maps –
free online)!
• Divide class into small groups; give each group
the name of a country.
• Explain that they need to locate the country on
the map, then write the name of the capital city,
and then the name of the bordering countries.
• PBL and homework (languages, religion, etc).
44. Practice with Reported Speech
• Newspaper, magazine, and internet
articles are perfect for direct/indirect
speech practice with your students.
• Change from Direct Indirect Speech
• President Barack Obama said, “We want
to congratulate Costa Rica on the
anniversary of their independence.”
45. Or change from indirect
direct speech
• President Barack Obama asked if we were
going to visit the White House the
following day.
46. Practice locating grammar
• Adaptable for all levels
• Print out from English news article from a
web-site, VOA, etc.
• Have students underline all the adjectives,
proper nouns, adverbs, etc.
• Then ask students to give synonyms and
antonyms for each underlined word.
47. Poetry from News
• Ask students to create a poem based on a news
article.
• Higher level: The content of the poem must
accurately represent the content of the article.
• Mid level: use key
words to make
poem.
• Lower level: acrostic
poem.
• All levels: Haiku
48. HAIKU
• Ancient form of written poetry from Japan.
• Simple 3-line pattern based on syllables.
• 5-7-5
49. Sample Haiku poem
My Tico country (5 syllables)
I love my beautiful home (7 syllables)
Please come visit me (5 syllables)
50. Haiku: Current Events (sports,
politics, etc).
************************
Soccer is my sport
Saprissa is the best team
Sorry La Liga.
************************
Try to write a ‘current events’ haiku.
51. Acrostic Poem
Use the first letters of a word to create a
poem.
Students should think of words that start
with each letter of the word. Encourage
creativity! Great for vocabulary building!
52. Let’s Try One!
• If I gave you an article using the word TICO, what
would your acrostic poem look like?
• T
• I
• C
• O
53. Poetry from News
• Writing: revision exercises without
intimidation.
• Reading comprehension.
• Vocabulary.
• Creativity & interest.
54. Warmer/stretch/break Activity!
• Students standing. Review human body
parts.
• Gets students moving, following
directions.
• Solicit the easier words. End with the
‘tongue’.
• Go into ‘Tongue-Twisters’ activity.
55. Tongue-Twisters
Fun phrases in English – often
using alliteration – repetitive
sounds that are often difficult
(but fun!) to pronounce when
spoken quickly.
56. Peter Piper
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers.
• How many pecks of pickled peppers
did Peter Piper pick?
58. Write a Tongue-Twister
• Use as many words beginning
with “T” as possible to create a
tongue-twister about TICOS
• And one with STUDENTS using
‘S’ words
59. TICOS
• Twenty tall, tired, timid and terrific Ticos
tangled and tumbled too many times to
take the tawdry train to Tennessee.
60. Translation
• For higher-level students.
• Ask students to translate from
Spanish to English (written and oral).
• This allows them to see the differences in
grammar and vocabulary.
• You may also ask them to read an article in
Spanish and write a similar article in English
without translation.
• Simultaneous translation activity
• Write & translate ads in magazines
61. Audience & Bias
• Which newspapers are
biased?
• Do news sites have
particular audiences in
mind?
• Considering audience
helps students with
critical thinking.
• Pick articles of the
same topic that are
aimed at different
audiences.
• Students can pick out
subtle differences in
language.
63. BINGO Song
There was a farmer
who had a dog,
and Bingo was his name-oh!
B-I-N-G-O (x3)
And Bingo was his name-oh!
64. Itsy-Bitsy Spider
Itsy-bitsy spider
went up the water spout.
Down came the rain
and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
and dried up all the rain.
Itsy-bitsy spider
went up the spout again!