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Teaching Current Events in the ESL Classroom
The document outlines strategies for teaching current events in ESL classrooms, emphasizing various activities and resources to engage students. It includes ice-breakers, writing prompts, and exercises related to grammar, vocabulary, and critical thinking. Additionally, the document lists news sources and educational websites for selecting appropriate articles based on student levels.
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Teaching Current Events in the ESL Classroom
- 1. Teaching Current Eventsin the ESL Classroom ************ David Burns Peace Corps Response Univ. Latina – Santa Cruz, Costa Rica 7 April 2015
- 3. Contact Information • DavidBurns – 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)
- 5. Warmer & FillerActivities • http://eslgamesbox.com/more-no-prep-warmer • http://busyteacher.org/teaching_ideas_and_te • http://www.onestopenglish.com/teenagers/skill • http://www.simplyesl.com/categories/esl-activit • https://teachertrove.wikispaces.com/Warmers+
- 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’tfor 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/memorygame. • 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 YouGet 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
- 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
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- 22. Contact information: • U.S.Embassy in San Jose • IRC (Information Resource Center) • Ligia Alpizar – IRC Director • alpizarlm@state.gov • http://sanjose.usembassy.gov • https://www.facebook.com/sanjose.usemb assy
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- 33. Writing & SpeakingPrompts • CreativeWritingPrompts.com • WritersDigest.com • Creative-Writing-Solutions.com • Quick exercise using any prompt from one of the above websites.
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- 37. Selecting Articles • Thereis 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 • Selectand 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.
- 39. Useful Activities • WorldMap/Geo • Reading / Writing • Poetry/Photos • Speaking/Role Play/Theater • Translation • Audience & bias • Videos/PBL/Liste ning
- 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 ReportedSpeech • 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 fromindirect 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 formof written poetry from Japan. • Simple 3-line pattern based on syllables. • 5-7-5
- 49. Sample Haiku poem MyTico 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 thefirst 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! • Studentsstanding. 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 inEnglish – often using alliteration – repetitive sounds that are often difficult (but fun!) to pronounce when spoken quickly.
- 56. Peter Piper • PeterPiper picked a peck of pickled peppers. • How many pecks of pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?
- 57. Woodchuck •How much woodcould a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
- 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-levelstudents. • 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.
- 62. GREAT places tofind current events and articles! • www.breakingnewsenglish.com • www.economist.com • www.voa.com • www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook • www.cnnfyi.com • www.convert-me.com • www.elibrary.com • www.britannica.com • www.factmonster.com • www.gallup.com • www.hoovers.com • www.infoplease.com • www.ipl.org • www.itools.com • www.loc.gov • www.archives.gov • www.si.edu • www.census.gov • http://stats.bls.gov • www.fedstats.gov • https://www.facebook.com/voa60 • •
- 63. BINGO Song There wasa 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 wentup 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!
- 65. Muchas gracias! Thank youvery much!
- 66. And a bigGRACIAS for the support from APCD Kevin Brown!