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Cold calling for Possible Job Opportunities

Instead of waiting for jobs to be advertised before contacting an employer, job seekers are using creative ways to make connections with potential employers. Social networking sites give both employees and employers opportunities to find potential employment matches. Job seekers also may write emails or letters to Human Resource departments at large companies to inquire about future openings. One tried-and-true strategy is the cold call. The cold call is when a job seeker calls a company to introduce himself or herself and to ask about potential employment opportunities.

Before making a cold call, job seekers should research the values and mission of a company and then write a brief introduction about themselves and several questions specific to the company’s interests. By doing a little bit of research and then taking time to make the call, a job seeker shows a high level of interest and ambition, which are often valued by employers.

In this week’s Teacher’s Corner, students write scripts for a cold call that include brief introductions and possible questions relevant to potential employment. Students then practice making cold calls and discuss potential responses to a call.

Level

Advanced

Language Focus

Speaking

GOALs

During this activity, students will be able to do the following:

  • Speak briefly on the phone to introduce themselves and to ask 1-2 relevant questions about internship or job opportunities.
  • Recognize and prepare for potential responses.

Materials

  • Cold-Calling Dialogue Chain (Appendix A)
  • Cold-Calling Tips and Sample Scripts (Appendix B)

Preparation

  • Print enough copies of Cold-Calling Tips and Sample Scripts (Appendix B) and Cold-Calling Dialogue Chain (Appendix A) so that each student has a copy.
  • Review Cold Calling Tips and Sample Scripts for information on cold calls.

Procedure

1.     At the beginning of class, ask students if they know the term cold call. What is a cold call? When would you make a cold call?

a.     Explain that a cold call is calling a person you don’t know. People often make cold calls when conducting job searches. They call companies they are interested in working for and introduce themselves while also inquiring about employment or internship opportunities.

b.     Ask students if they have ever made a cold call before. If some have, ask them to share their experiences.

                                               i.     Encourage students to tell what kinds of information they gave while on the call.

                                             ii.     As students share their experiences, write on the board the information that students said they included in the call.

2.     After students have shared their experiences, explain that cold calls can follow a script. In fact, having a script can help callers prepare to make the phone call and to sound confident.

a.     Hand out a copy of the Cold Calling Dialogue Chain to each student.

b.     Give students time to review the script and compare the script to the information written on the board.

                                               i.     What information is similar? What information is not included on the script?

3.     Work with the class to brainstorm possibilities for each step on the dialogue chain. For example, start by asking students to write down a one-sentence introduction of themselves. Have them share some of their sentences. Then ask them to brainstorm possible responses the receiver might have to this introduction.

a.     Carry on with this brainstorm until the dialogue has a number of possibilities for each step.

4.     After the class comes up with ideas for a dialogue chain, have students work individually to write their own scripts using the dialogue chain.

a.     Ask them to envision they are contacting someone about their dream job at a company where they would like to work.

b.     Give them time (10-15 minutes) to write and complete their scripts.

5.     Pair students with the person sitting next to them and ask them to share their dialogues.

a.     After sharing dialogues, partners offer two alternative questions for each other to use in their dialogues.

6.     Bring the class back together as a group and explain that now you are going to discuss possible responses to a cold call.

a.     Hand out copies of Cold Calling Tips and Sample Scripts and have students review the sample scripts with their partners.

7.     Once students have reviewed the handout, have them practice their dialogues in pairs with one student acting as the caller and the other as a secretary or Human Resources staff member.

a.     Remind students  to adjust their script to fit the person that answers the phone.

8.     Finally, ask students to practice the cold call imagining that the person who answers the phone is a potential employer.

9.     Tell students that the more they practice, the more confident they will feel when they make real phone calls. Tell them that cold calling takes time and persistence.

Variations

A variation on this activity could have students practicing complete scripts rather than using a dialogue chain. Before class, use the dialogue chain to write a script that students can follow and practice in class before creating their own.

Extensions

Extend the activity by changing the possible scenarios so that students must adjust their scripts to fit new situations. For example, in addition to thinking that a receptionist or a human resources person might answer the phone, have students consider other potential scenarios: What would happen if they get a person’s voicemail? What happens if the potential boss is not interested in talking? What happens if the person answering directs the caller to a website? All of these are realistic possibilities that students would need to consider before making a phone call.

Appendix A: Cold-Calling Dialogue Chain

Receiver                                                                                                                                  Caller  

Greeting

 

 

Introduce self: name, where you’re calling from, how you found name of person you are calling

Response

 

 

Request to discuss internship or job opportunities; explain that you have specific questions

Response

 

 

Question 1

Response

 

 

Question 2

Response

 

 

Thanks and Goodbye

Goodbye

 
 

Appendix B: Cold-Calling Tips and Sample Scripts

Cold Calling Tips

  • Smile while calling. Listeners can “hear” a smile.
  • Practice, practice, practice. Practicing will give you confidence for the actual call.
  • Start by calling employers or company employees whom you know through friends, family, or colleagues. For example, a friend of a friend who is a receptionist can help you.
  • During the call, try to set up a time to meet in person. Some employers are willing and available to do this. Be flexible with your schedule as you plan a time.
  • Plan for voicemail or for the receiver to take a message.

Reference:

University of Minnesota Career and Internship Services. “Cold Calling.” www.careerhelp.umn.edu

Sample Script: Receptionist Answers Call

Receptionist: Good morning. HG Group. How many I direct your call?

Caller: Good morning. I’m looking to speak with someone about work and internship opportunities. Is there someone you can recommend or a person you can connect me with?

Receptionist: Certainly. You would probably want to speak with our recruiting team. I’m going to send your call to Jane’s desk. If she doesn’t answer, please leave a message.

Caller: That’s wonderful. Thank you. Could you give me her full name and number in case I get disconnected?

Receptionist: Sure. Jane Mack is at 712-555-9000, ext. 24. Anything else I can help you with today?

Caller: No, thank you so much.

Receptionist: You’re welcome. Connecting you now.

 

Sample Script: Human Resources Employee Answers Call

Human Resources (HR) Staff Member: Good morning. HG Group, Human Resources, this is John.

Caller: Good morning, John. My name is Claire , and I’m looking to speak with someone about work and internship opportunities in the Finance Department at HG Group. Would you be able to direct me to someone for an informational interview?

HR Staff Member: Unfortunately, there aren’t any positions available right now, but if you are looking to learn more about our company I would be happy to speak with you.

Caller: Yes, that would be great. Thank you. Would you be willing to meet with me in person?

HR Staff Member: My schedule is fairly full this week, but I could schedule 30 minutes on the phone sometime Thursday afternoon. Would that work for you?

Caller: Yes, I could call at 2:30 p.m.

HR Staff Member: What is your name and phone number in case we need to reschedule?

Caller: Claire Tatum and I’m at 555-555-7098. And John, what is your last name?

HR Staff Member: John Fletcher.

Caller: Thank you. I look forward to speaking with you on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at this number.

HR Staff Member: I’ll be here. Have a great day.

Caller: You as well. Thank you and good bye.

HR Staff Member: Bye.

 

 

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Cold Calling
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Responding to Common Interview Questions

For many job seekers, the interview is one of many challenges to face before landing the perfect job. The interview process can vary greatly depending on the company and job position. Some interviews are brief, but others can be lengthy and intensive. Sometimes job seekers must attend a series of interviews for one company, while at another company they may need to attend only one interview. Sometimes a panel of managers and employees may conduct the interview, and sometimes only one person from the company conducts the interview. Regardless of the interview process, the questions in an interview can be somewhat predictable and similar across employers.

In this week’s activity, students will learn how to prepare for the most common interview questions. In addition, students will prepare for the unexpected in interviews.

Level

Advanced

Secondary level or adult learners

Language Focus

Speaking

GOALs

During this activity, students will be able to

  • Prepare confident, firm answers to the most common interview questions in business.
  • Plan strategies for dealing with unexpected questions in interviews.

Materials

  • Common Interview Questions and Worksheet (see Appendix A)
  • Pencils and paper

Preparation

  • Print enough copies for all students of the handout Common Interview Questions and Worksheet.

Procedure

1.     As students take their seats, assign each student a number (1-20).  Tell them they must remember their number for the first activity.

2.     Give each student a copy of the handout, and explain that today they will focus on learning strategies for participating in successful job interviews.

3.     Tell students to find the question on the handout that matches the number you gave them at the beginning of class.

4.     Have each student turn to a neighbor and ask the question they’ve been assigned.

5.     After each person in the pair has asked their questions and answered, they should review the list of questions quietly on their own.

6.     Once all students have finished talking and everyone is reviewing the questions, bring the class back together.

  • Ask students if the question was familiar. How did they respond? What was difficult about answering the question? How well and confidently do they think they answered the question?
  • Explain that these interview questions are common, and job seekers can take time to prepare answers in advance.

7.     As a class, brainstorm a list of what makes impressive answers to interview questions.

  • Write the ideas students have on the board.
  • Here are some possible ideas: brief but clear answers; answers that show the applicant is well-informed; answers that show the applicant knows about the employer; answers that show the applicant is competent and would be an asset to the company.

8.     Once the students have brainstormed a complete list, ask them to apply their ideas to answering the first question on the handout. Tell students that their answer to the first question, “Tell me about yourself,” should focus on strengths and experience that are relevant to the job that they are interviewing for.

  • Give each person a few minutes to write an answer.

9.     As the students write their answers, put this sample answer on the board:

I’ve been working in _______________ for the last 10 years in _______________. In my most recent project, I focused on ______________________________. That project required that I do ________________________. I was successful when _______________________. My real strength is in___________________. I am now interested in ___________________________.

10.  Once students have completed writing an answer, ask them to look at the template you put on the board.

  • Does their answer explain what they have done and offer their strengths and abilities?
  • Based on the information in the template, what would they add to their answer?
  • Is there any information they would remove from their original answer?
  • Ask them to revise their answer and then share it with their partner from earlier in the class.

11.  Turn their attention to the rest of the sample interview questions. Ask each student to choose 5 questions on the list that interest him or her and then prepare an answer for each.

  • Remind students that answers should be clear, concise, positive, and relevant to the job for which they’re applying.

12.  After students complete their answers, ask them to share the answers with their partners.

  • Encourage partners to offer feedback that reflects the standards brainstormed early in the class (see step 7) and emphasized when discussing the first question.

13.  Turn students’ attention to page 2 of Appendix A.

14.  Ask the class what they have done or might do when asked a question they don’t know the answer to.

  • Some might say they lied or made something up, while others might say they were honest and used the line, “I don’t know much about that.”

15.  Offer some suggestions for handling such questions, such as the following:

  • Take some time to answer the question.
  • Redirect the question to relate to experience you do have.
  • Ask for clarification.
  • If you really don’t know the answer, confidently say, “That is not a concept I’m familiar with, but it is an area where I hope to develop professionally.”

16.  Have students write down two strategies that feel comfortable to them. For example, a student could write that he or she plans to relate an answer to personal and relevant experience.

17.  Take a little extra time at the end of class to have students work with a new partner to practice the questions they have prepared answers to.

  • If students are feeling confident, encourage them to ask questions for which partners have not prepared answers so that students can practice responding spontaneously.

Extensions

Extend the activity by asking students to choose their dream job and dream company. Have them brainstorm some questions specific to that company.  Have them then write responses to these questions in a way that highlights their knowledge of the company.

Appendix A: Common Interview Questions and Worksheet

1.     Tell me about yourself.

2.     What are your strengths?

3.     What are your weaknesses?

4.     Tell me about a conflict you experienced at work. How did you handle it?

5.     Why should we hire you?

6.     What is an accomplishment you are proud of in your career?

7.     What motivates you?

8.     If I called your former boss today, in what area would he or she say you need to improve?

9.     What are your career goals?

10.  How do you handle pressure?

11.  How did you hear about this position?

12.  Why do you want to work with us?

13.  What are some of your leadership experiences?

14.  What questions do you have for me?

15.  How would you deal with an angry customer?

16.  Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

17.  Where would you like to focus your professional development opportunities?

18.  What is your dream job?

19.  Who is a role model to you?

20.  What do you need from a manager to be successful?

Plans for the Unexpected Question

1.     What are two things you can say if you are asked a question that you don’t know the answer to?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Responding to Job Interviews
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So far this month in the Teacher’s Corner, students have learned about characteristics of high-quality news, conducted individual observations of different news sources, and shared findings with classmates. Students also looked for common issues and concerns about content across different news sources.

This week, students will use the lists of common issues they created in their number groups to create posters. The posters will communicate the key issues and questions that came up across different news sources in group discussions. Then, students will participate in a gallery walk and class discussion.

Gallery Walk and Reflection

Time: 30 minutes to give instructions and have number groups create posters. 15 minutes for the gallery walk. 10-15 minutes for a follow-up discussion.

Goals: To communicate and write in English while working in groups to create posters. To read in English while participating in the gallery walk. To speak and listen in English during a class discussion. To reflect on positive and negative aspects of reporting by news sources.

Materials:

  • Students’ notebooks containing lists from previous activities.
  • Pencils
  • Markers
  • Chart paper or poster paper
  • Tape or another means of displaying posters
  • Chalk or whiteboard markers
  • Device for keeping time

Preparation:

  1. In order to provide students with a model of what is expected during the poster-making activity, create an example poster. The poster should contain common issues noted during the news media observations such as specific topics that are often covered, topics that receive very little news reporting, identification of sources, portrayal of certain groups of people, etc. To add interest, include visuals or illustrations.

Procedure:

  1. Begin by telling students that they will create a poster with their number groups. Share your example poster, and ask students to name some of the issues they see represented.
  2. Tell students, “Today you will work in your number groups and use the list you created during the jigsaw activity to make a poster. Your poster should contain the most common issues or questions your group found across different news sources. Be sure to include all of the items on your list. Add illustrations or other visuals to make the poster more interesting. You will have 20 minutes to work together on this task. Make sure that everyone is participating and sharing the work.”
  3. Set the timer for 20 minutes. Move around the room and monitor each group’s progress. Answer any questions or clarify information as needed, and ensure that all groups are on track with the task.
  4. When the timer goes off, have students direct their attention back to you. Supply students with tape to hang posters, or display the posters by laying them on tables or desks so that they can easily be seen. Next to each poster, place a blank piece of poster or chart paper for students to write comments.
  5. Distribute a marker to each student, if you have enough, or tell students to use their pencils. Say, “You will now participate in a gallery walk. During this activity, you will walk around the room, read each poster, and reflect on the ideas you see. Next to each poster is a blank page for you to write any response you may have. You can write down something you agree with or that you also observed during your media observations. You can write something that you disagree with, or even a question that you think of. There is no right or wrong response and you do not have to sign your name. Be sure that you visit each poster in the room and write a comment. You will have fifteen minutes to visit all of the posters.”
  6. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. During this time, you can participate in the gallery walk yourself by adding comments at each poster. Remind students that since they are reading and reflecting, they should not be talking during the activity.
  7. When the timer goes off, have students stop where they are in the room. Give instructions by saying, “Now you should take a moment to read the comments on the poster that your group made. Without talking, return to your poster and you will have a few minutes to read the comments and responses left by your classmates. When you have finished, please return to your own desk.”
  8. Provide students a few minutes to read the comments left on their posters. Set a timer if desired.
  9. Once everyone has returned to their seats, ask students to open their notebooks. Tell students they will have three minutes to list the top five issues they saw from all of the posters in the room. Set the timer for three minutes.
  10. When time is up ask, “Who can share one issue or question they noticed from today’s gallery walk?” Allow students time to respond. You can record the list on the board as students share ideas.
  11. Once everyone has had a chance to contribute and you have a list, ask students to get into pairs or groups of three. Write the questions below on the board. Tell students they will have ten minutes to respond to the questions as a group and write answers in their individual notebooks:
    1. What do you think are the top three concerns our class observed in different news sources? Compare your ideas and agree on three concerns.
    2. What questions should a person ask when taking in news from any source? Write three to five questions.
    3. Do you believe it is important for people to think critically about the news? Why or why not?
  12. When time is up, confirm that all groups have completed the task. Once everyone is finished, ask students to volunteer to share their responses to each of the questions. Students can respond to each other’s ideas by agreeing, disagreeing, or elaborating.
  13. Conclude the discussion and remind students that when they are reading, watching, or otherwise consuming the news, they should think about the questions they wrote in step 11.

Possible Extensions:

  1. Have students write a personal reflection essay on the third question in step 11. They can submit the paper for a grade.
  2. Plan a class debate about the third question in step 11. Half of the class can take the position that it is not important for people to think critically about the news, while the other half adopts the position that it is important. Have students develop their arguments and participate in a structured debate.
  3. Students can create a public service announcement about how to think critically about the news media. This can be a skit, a commercial recorded with a mobile device, an infographic, or any other format your students would like to work in or think would be effective. Have students perform or present their products to the class.

Thinking critically about the news we consume is not an easy skill to teach and it takes time to develop. However, the activities presented in this month’s Teacher’s Corner are a good starting point to help students discover why close examination of news reports is important. Once your students become familiar with the concepts addressed in this month’s activities, you can incorporate media literacy throughout the school year. The more students have a chance to apply this type of thinking, the more likely they will be to use it independently in their own lives.

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Week 4 Activity
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Last week in Teacher’s Corner, we shared a set of media observation questions for students to use to reflect on content presented by different news media outlets. This week’s jigsaw activity will allow students to analyze what they observed and share ideas with classmates.

Jigsaw sharing Activity

Time: About 60 minutes to give instructions, transition, and complete the jigsaw

Goals: To read, write, speak and listen in English while reflecting and discussing with classmates.

Materials:

  • Students’ news media observations
  • Pencils
  • Student notebooks
  • Device for keeping time

Preparation:

  1. Be sure that students come to class prepared with their completed observations by reminding them several days in advance.
  2. Review the list of groups from the previous activity. Each student should have observed a specific type of media (the group name) and have an assigned number.

Procedure:

  1. Begin by asking students to take out their observations. Tell students that they will read all of their observations and note any common themes or issues by circling key phrases or questions. If necessary, give students examples such as “I noticed that when immigration was reported on, the focus was always on crime,” or “Stories about weather often mentioned climate change.” Give students about ten minutes to complete this task.
    1. Students may also want to pay attention to topics that were not covered. For example, “Positive stories about immigrants were hard to find,” or “Many news segments made me wonder why there was little discussion of climate change.”  
  2. After students have analyzed their own observations, remind them of their group assignments from the previous activity. If needed, share the list and remind students of their group name and their individually assigned number.
  3. Tell students, “Now you will join your classmates who also observed the same type of news media that you did. Select one person to be the recorder and take notes as everyone shares information. Group members should each briefly share the common issues or questions they noted from their own observations. Be sure that the recorder writes down all the ideas. You will have 15 minutes to share and record responses.”
  4. Have students move to their groups. Designate areas of the classroom if needed and set a timer for 15 minutes. Move around the room and listen to the group discussions. Answer any questions or clarify any information as needed and ensure that all groups are on track with the task.
  5. When the timer stops, have students turn their attention back to you. Say, “Now you will have ten minutes as a group to review all of the ideas your recorder wrote down. From these ideas, your group should create a list of 5-10 key issues or questions raised by your particular news source. Everyone should write down this list in their notebooks.” Answer any questions students may have.
  6. Set the timer for ten minutes. Move around the room and listen to the group discussions. Answer any questions or clarify any information as needed and ensure that all groups are on track with the task.
  7. Once the timer stops, have students turn their attention back to you. Confirm that every individual student has their group’s list of 5-10 key issues or questions written in their personal notebook.
  8. Explain that students will now meet in number groups so that everyone has a chance to interact with students who observed different news sources. Verify that all students know the number they are assigned. Designate specific areas of the classroom for each number group if needed. Have students move to their number groups and turn their attention to you.
  9. Say, “Now that you are in a group with students who observed different news sources, everyone will share the key issues and questions they recorded in their notebooks. As everyone shares, if you hear something that is similar to what your first group wrote down, make a note of it in your notebook. Our goal in this conversation is to discover common issues or questions raised by the different types of news sources we observed. You will have ten minutes for everyone in the group to share.”
  10. Answer any questions students may have. Set the timer for ten minutes. During the activity, move around the room and listen to the group discussions. Answer any questions or clarify any information as needed and ensure that all groups are on track with the task.
  11. When the timer goes off, explain to students that as they just did before in their first group, they will now create a list of key issues or questions. The difference is that now the list will include issues and questions raised across news sources. Tell students that they will have 10 minutes to complete this task.
  12. Groups should designate a recorder who will write down the list in his or her notebook. All members should share any common ideas they noted during the round of individual sharing. From these ideas, students should select 5-10 common issues or questions and create a final list that everyone will write in their notebooks.
  13. When the timer goes off, verify that all ideas have been recorded. Explain to students that the next step will be to create a poster explaining the key issues or questions raised across news sources.

During the next class meeting, students will create a poster in their number groups and present it to the class. The whole class will discuss the issues and questions raised across different news sources.

 

 

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News Media Observation Jigsaw
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This webinar, "Empowering Your Students with Media Literacy," explores activities that help students ask key questions about the messages found in news and social media. Participants will examine specific media texts and engage in hands-on evaluation techniques that can be used in class with students.

Author: Joe McVeigh Format: Text, Video
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Grigoryan, A. & King, J. M. (2008). “Adbusting: Critical media literacy in a multi-skills academic writing lesson” English Teaching Forum, 2008, 46(4). pp. 2-9

It is important that our students be able to recognize bias and instances where the news media may present a limited perspective of certain issues. This skill takes time to develop, but we can begin by asking students to carefully observe and reflect on different media sources.

This week’s activity will provide students with a set of observation questions to collect information about a specific news source. Students will make observations outside of class once you’ve modeled how to use the questions in class. Students will keep a log of observations that will be used in next week’s jigsaw activity, discussion, and presentation.

Observation modeling and practice

Time: 45 minutes to explain and model how to answer the news media observation questions. One week outside of class for students to observe their assigned media outlets.

Note: To conduct observations, students will need to have access to the news source which they are assigned. Alternatively, you can collect news clippings to use in class ahead of time and students can spend an additional class period examining the news you have collected. If you plan to use sources you have collected, it is suggested that you find sources—including newspapers, radio news clips, television clips, news magazines, social media posts, and any others—from the same 1-2 week time period. Another option is to provide students time at school to conduct observations.

Goals: To provide students with guiding questions to consider when consuming news. To help students begin to recognize common trends in how events, issues, and people are portrayed in different media outlets. To read, write, speak, and listen in English while participating in group discussions and making observations.

Materials:

  • Student access to different news sources or media
  • One sample news story or clip for demonstration purposes (If using a printed news story, you will need multiple copies or a way to display or share the story.)
  • Media observation questions from the appendix (You will need to choose how you will share these with students, whether by displaying them, writing them on the board, or providing students a copy.)
  • Chalk or whiteboard markers
  • Pencils
  • Device for keeping time

Preparation:

  1. Select one news story from any type of media to use as a model for how to answer the news media observation questions. Ideally, all students should be able to see the story, whether it is projected, accessed on mobile phones, or photocopied. If using a television or radio clip, be sure you have a means of playing it clearly for all students.
  2. Using the news media observation questions, examine the news story or clip you have chosen and write notes and your answers to each of the questions.

Procedure:

  1. Revisit your list of popular news sources from the activity in Week 1. Your class should have created a list of 5-8 news sources they believe are most popular in your community.
  2. Tell students that they will spend the next week (or next class period if you are using sources you’ve already gathered) conducting observations of one of the news sources on the list. Explain that today you will share a set of questions for students to think about as they conduct their observations, and that you will demonstrate using an example.
  3. Display or share the news media observation questions. Discuss each one of the questions with your students and be sure they understand what is being asked. Brainstorm and discuss possible responses to each question with students.
  4. Next, use the sample news story or clip you prepared prior to class to further explain how to use the observation questions.
    1. If using a printed news story, it would be helpful if students had their own copies, but you could also read the story aloud. A news story from an online source that could easily be displayed or accessed by students individually would also be a good option. If using a news clip from television, the internet, or radio, all students should be able to watch or listen.
  5. Using your sample news story and the media observation questions, guide students in reading/watching/listening the news story and answering the first two questions in their notebooks. Record answers on the board so students can see an example.
  6. For questions 3-5, have students discuss their answers in small groups as you move around the room and listen. Clarify any concepts that students do not understand or answer any questions they have.
  7. Bring the class back together and have groups share their responses to questions 3-5. If needed, guide students in finding the correct information and clarify any misunderstandings by referring directly to the news story. Record answers on the board.
  8. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for questions 6-7. Allow time for students to discuss each question, and then have them share responses or ideas with the class. If necessary, discuss possible perspectives and opinions not addressed by your sample news story, or questions it might raise.
  9. Clarify any questions students have about using the media observation questions on their own. Explain that students will be assigned one type of media (such as television, social media, newspapers, etc.) to observe for one week. Students should complete at least one observation on a news story from that type of media per day.
  10. Provide students with a list of the media observation questions, or have them copy questions into their notebooks. Tell students that for each observation that they make, they should write down the date and answer all questions.
  11. Using the list of popular news sources your class created (see step 1), assign students to observe each type of media (no more than 5-6 in each group). Each type of media should have the same number of student observers (or as equal as possible). Name the groups according to the type of media, such as “Newspaper” or “Television.” If you have a very large class, it is acceptable to assign the same type of media to more than one group.
  12. Then assign each student in a media group a number 1-6. Each student will then have both a media type and a number, such as Newspaper 2, Television 2, etc. Create a list like the one below for each group because you will need this information for a future activity.

 

Newspaper

Television

Social Media

1. Student Name

2. Student Name

3. Student Name

4. Student Name

5. Student Name

6. Student Name

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

 

13.  If you plan to use news sources you have gathered prior to class, tell students that they will work in groups to examine news stories and answer the questions from the observation log during the next class period. In the following class, distribute the news sources you have collected to each group and allow students to discuss and answer the questions.

For next week’s Teacher’s Corner activity, students will participate in a jigsaw activity to share their media observations (whether done at home or in class). Students will analyze the information to look for commonalities in how news is reported across different media outlets.

 APPendix: Media Observation questions

1.     What issues, events, or topics are discussed in the news story?

2.     Is the story written by a recognizable journalist or produced by a known media outlet?

3.     What facts or figures are presented?

4.     Can you check the facts and figures? Where could you check the information for accuracy? If you cannot verify the information, why not?

5.     If quotes or ideas from other people are included, is the source named?

6.     Are there any people involved in the news story? Who? How does the news story portray the people involved? Do you think this is a fair and accurate representation?

7.     Does the news story address multiple opinions or perspectives on the topic? What opinions are included? What might be missing?

8.     Did this news story leave you with any unanswered questions about the topic, event, or issue? What are the questions? Was there anything that you believe was left out of the news story?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This week’s Teacher’s Corner will focus on starting a discussion in your classroom about the importance of thinking critically about the news. Students will reflect on where they get most of their news and consider the characteristics of high-quality and trustworthy news sources.

Activities To get students thinking critically

Time: 10-15 minutes to brainstorm news sources. 45 minutes to read the article “Schools, Universities Teach Students the Truth About Fake News” from Voice of America and discuss the concepts presented. 20 minutes for personal reflections and sharing.

Goals:

  • to encourage students to think critically about news
  • to listen, speak, read, and write in English in order to gather information from a news article
  • to create lists of characteristics of quality news
  • to write questions for analyzing news sources

Materials:

Preparation:

  1. Decide how you will share the news story from Voice of America with your students. Prepare photocopies or prepare how you will project the piece or play the audio for students.
  2. Read or listen to the article yourself and decide on the key points you would like to discuss.
  1. Suggestions include playing the embedded video “Spreading the News” and discussing how news travels quickly. Another idea is to talk about the key questions presented by Howard Schneider in the article. You may also want to talk about the importance of getting news from various sources.

Activity One: Brainstorming News Sources

Procedure:

  1. Begin by having students gather in small groups of 3-5. On the board, create a thinking map by writing the question Where do we get news? inside a circle. Draw one line coming out from the circle and write the name of a news source, such as newspapers, at the end of the line.
  2. Explain to students that they will have about five minutes to create a thinking map in their groups. They should copy what you have written on the board, and then they should draw more lines and add all of the sources of news that they can think of. Provide each group with one piece of paper and a pencil, or have students create maps in their notebooks. Time the groups for five minutes.
  3. Once time is up, ask each group to share one of the sources they listed. Record students’ responses by adding them to the thinking map on the board. Continue until all the different sources that each group thought of have been listed on the map.
  4. Next, ask students which sources they think are most commonly used in your community. Students can discuss this in groups, or the whole class can discuss it together. Once everyone more or less agrees on the common news sources, circle those sources on the map, or create a separate list on the board. Select between five and eight popular sources and keep this list to use for next week’s activity.

Activity two: Learning about fake news

Procedure:

  1. Begin by asking students if they have ever heard of fake news and what it is. If this concept is not familiar to your students, you can play the video “Spreading the News,” which is embedded in the Voice of America article.
  2. Have students brainstorm a list of possible ways one might know that news is fake or exaggerated. Record these on chart paper.
  3. Share the article “Schools, Universities Teach Students the Truth About Fake News” from Voice of America with students. Allow students to read or listen to the whole article once without stopping.
  4. Next, have students listen or read again, this time looking or listening for key information. You can write the following questions on the board for students to consider:
    1. What is fake news? What are some signs that a news story could be fake?
    2. What questions should readers and other consumers of news ask to determine if a news story may be fake? (What does Howard Schneider suggest?)
  5. Once everyone has had sufficient time to answer the questions, ask students to share their responses to the questions in Part A (Step 4) with the whole class. To the list on chart paper, add any new possible ways a consumer might know that news is fake or exaggerated.
  6. To contrast the list of characteristics of fake news, ask students how a high-quality news story would be different. Ask, “How would a news story that is trustworthy or high quality be different from the list we’ve created about fake news? What things would you see in a reliable news story?” Ideas might include names of sources, recognizable journalists or news outlets, verifiable facts, etc. Record this list on chart paper as well.

Activity three: Asking Questions About the News

Procedure:

  1. Tell students, “Today we learned about some of the characteristics of questionable news as well as characteristics of quality news. Now we need to decide how to think critically and examine the news we see.”
  2. Have students open their notebooks again and read the responses they wrote down in their small groups for Part B in Activity Two, Step 4.
  3. Once students have reviewed what they wrote down, say, “Now you will write a list of at least five to help you to decide if news is trustworthy or could contain parts that are fake. You have ten minutes to write your list.”
  4. Set the timer and move around the room. Monitor students and provide assistance as needed.
  5. When the timer goes off, ask students to gather in groups of three to share their lists. Set the timer for five minutes.
  6. Once students have shared in small groups, have volunteers tell the class their ideas about how they can determine the quality of news. Using chart paper, record student responses. Keep this list on display in the classroom. You can continue to add any additional ideas that students have or learn about during the rest of the series of media literacy activities.

This week’s Teacher’s Corner activities ask students to start thinking about commonly used news sources and characteristics of high-quality news. In future activities, students will have a chance to apply this reasoning to examine news from different sources and to reflect on what they observe.

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Sometimes the only opportunity our students have to use the language they are learning is when they are in the language classroom. Therefore, it is important to provide many interactive practice activities during class time. However, beginner-level students often require structured practice to help them build their language confidence. With this need in mind, this week’s Teacher’s Corner will present scaffolding techniques that are useful for giving beginner-level students the structured practice they need to produce English in meaningful ways.

Sentence Starters and Frames

Sentence starters and frames provide structure for producing oral and written language. The structures can be very simple (with one or two words missing) or more open-ended. In the chart below are some examples of sentence starters and frames and the types of responses learners may give.

 

Topic/Vocabulary

Sentence Starter/Frame

Example Learner Response

Breakfast foods

Today I had ______ for breakfast.

Today I had eggs and toast for breakfast.

After-school activities

After school, I like to ______.

After school, I like to play with my friends.

Personal characteristics

My name is ______.

I am ___ years old.

I have ______ hair and ______ eyes.

My name is Sarah.

I am 14 years old.

I have brown hair and green eyes.

Ordering a meal

I would like the ______, with ______ to drink, please.

I would like the soup, with water to drink, please.

 

Starters and frames can be used when posing questions for learners to answer. You can write the frame on the board and model a response before asking students to form their own responses. When using frames for writing, as students become more proficient, you can include additional sentence frames to help students add more details.

Word Banks and Word Walls

Word banks and word walls are excellent tools to use in conjunction with sentence frames because they help students to connect vocabulary with language structures.  As you teach a specific topic and related sentence starters and frames, create a word list, or a “word bank,” on the board or a poster. Include illustrations or pictures if possible. As students are asked to produce language using the sentence frames, they can refer to the word bank to help them recall the necessary vocabulary. Below are examples of word banks for the topics of the sentence frames discussed above.

 

Topic/Vocabulary

Sentence Starter/Frame

Example Word Bank

Breakfast foods

Today I had ______ for breakfast.

Eggs, toast, rice, cereal, fruit, coffee, milk, juice

After school activities

After school, I like to ______.

Play, sleep, eat, read, watch TV, do homework

Personal characteristics

My name is ______.

I am ___ years old.

I have ______ hair and ______ eyes.

Number and color words

Ordering a meal

I would like the ______, with ______ to drink, please.

Restaurant foods: soup, hamburger, stew, pizza, sandwich, pie, rice

Drinks: water, soda, juice, coffee, milk, tea

After a topic or lesson is completed, vocabulary can be displayed on posters on a “Word Wall,” organized by topic. Alternatively, each vocabulary word can be written on an individual card (or strip of paper) and then placed on the wall. (These vocabulary cards can be organized alphabetically, by topic, or by another method). Students can also use a notebook as a personal vocabulary journal and record the words by topic to use later during writing or speaking tasks.

Think-Pair-Share Activities

Think-pair-share may be a familiar classroom strategy, but it is especially useful with beginners. This strategy can also be used in conjunction with the other scaffolds discussed in the Teacher’s Corner for this week and last week.

Basic Think-Pair-Share:

  1. Think: The teacher poses a question and instructs students to think about their ideas or responses. (A timer can be set if desired, or students can just be asked to think quietly for a minute.)
  2. Pair: The teacher pairs students (this can be done through pre-arranged assigned seats or randomly) and gives pairs a set amount of time to discuss their ideas or responses.
  3. Share: Students stop talking and return their attention to the teacher and whole class. One at a time, pairs are given a chance to briefly share with the whole class what they discussed.

This strategy is excellent to use with beginners for several reasons. First, the built-in “think time” helps beginning students gather their thoughts and ideas before they have to articulate them. Second, the “pair” portion allows beginners to process ideas and check their understanding with a peer before the final “share” with the group. The sharing portion also allows multiple students to be responsible for the information or idea being presented, which takes some of the pressure off of beginners.

The basic procedure for think-pair-share can also be adapted to include writing or to increase the number of students interacting in the group. Two variations are discussed below.

Think-Pair-Write-Share:

This modification adds a writing step to the basic procedure. During the “pair” portion, students can work together to write out their response. Sentence frames and word banks can be helpful during this step if students need extra support. The teacher can move around to make sure students understand the task or to assist as needed. Writing out responses also allows for students to learn with and from their peers. Then, pairs can share their written response with the class.

Think-Pair-Share with Another Pair:

For this variation, follow the basic think-pair-share procedure, but instead of sharing with the whole class, student pairs will share with another pair. When pairs are ready to share their ideas or responses, they join with another pair to form a small group. The pairs present their responses to each other and share ideas, and the teacher can move around the room to monitor students and to be sure everyone understands the task.

 

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Because of their limited vocabulary and language skills, beginner-level students may have trouble showing their understanding and responding to questions when compared to more advanced peers. Teachers should provide scaffolds for learning questions: starting with very basic language structures and then building up to more complex structures. Scaffolding helps beginners to show what they are learning from an early stage, even if the students are still acquiring the language that they need to express ideas on their own.

This week in the Teacher’s Corner, we will discuss how to scaffold questions to help beginning learners become more comfortable with responding to questions. We will also explore several simple response strategies for beginners that help to engage students and to check their understanding.

Creating or Adapting Beginner-friendly Questions

A teacher who asks an open-ended question to a class of beginner students will likely be met with blank stares, confusion, or silence (See examples of open-ended questions below.). Learners at this level usually do not have the language skills they need to comprehend an open-ended question, much less respond to it. Even if students understand what is being asked, they may be shy to speak or worried about making errors. To avoid this situation, we can ask or adapt questions in several different ways to make them more accessible to our beginners.

Yes/No Questions: Posing questions to which students can simply respond “yes” or “no” allows students to express opinions or show what they have learned without having to depend on vocabulary or language forms they may not have. For instance, compare the following questions:

Open-Ended Response

Yes/No Response

What characteristics tell you that an animal is a mammal?

Is this animal (in the picture) a mammal?

How do you know a shape is a rectangle?

Does a rectangle have four sides?

What is the weather like today?

Is the weather sunny today?

What foods do you like to eat?

Do you like to eat eggs? Rice? Fish?

As shown in the table above, yes/no questions can be used to review content or for students to share information about themselves.

Either/Or Questions: Posing an either/or question allows beginner-level students to choose the correct answer from only two options. Consider the table below, which shows how the same open-ended questions can be posed in the either-or format:

Open-Ended Response

Either/Or Response

What characteristics tell you that an animal is a mammal?
  • Is this animal (pictured) a mammal or a reptile?
  • Which one is a mammal: a fish or a horse?

How do you know a shape is a rectangle?
  • Is this shape (pictured) a rectangle or a square?
  • Which shape has four sides of equal length: a rectangle or a square?

What is the weather like today?
  • Is the weather today sunny or cloudy?

What foods do you like to eat?
  • Do you like to eat chicken or fish?
  • Do you eat eggs for breakfast or dinner?

Limiting Answer Choices: Often students take tests or complete work with multiple-choice questions. For beginners, the standard multiple-choice question with four answer choices can be overwhelming or confusing. To make these questions more accessible, we can limit the number of options. To do this, we can simply cross out two of the incorrect options, or create activities with only two options for each question. As beginners become more proficient, we can add in a third choice and eventually work up to four.  

Increasing Wait Time

After asking a question, some teachers can become uncomfortable if students do not respond quickly. However, students who are just starting to learn a language need more time to think about what they are hearing and to articulate a response. For this reason, teachers who have beginner-level students are encouraged to give students more time to think about and answer questions. 

Pose, Then Pause: A good strategy with beginner-level students is to include some “think time” after asking a question. This works especially well for questions that require a more open-ended response that requires students to produce more language. For instance, a teacher might say “What will you do after school today?” and then indicate to students that they have time to think about their response. The amount of “think time” may vary based on learners’ ages and proficiency, but 10-30 seconds is usually sufficient. Here are some other options: use a timer; give students a verbal cue by saying something like “Think about this. Then I will ask you to answer”; or give students a visual cue (such as a signal or gesture) to indicate “think time.” Once students have had time to think about their responses, they can raise their hands to respond.  For more information on decreasing teacher talk time, check out this American English webinar: Teacher Talk: Presentation Skills for Teachers.

Calling on Students: Even when beginner students are ready to respond, they may still need additional time to answer. Beginners may start to answer but struggle to produce the needed language, or they may make an error during their responses. As teachers, we are often quick to respond and to assist our students in these situations. However, if our goal is to help learners develop their English, it may actually be better if we wait to let the student work to form a response on his or her own. If the student continues to have difficulty after 5-10 seconds, we can then provide guidance or ask a clarifying question to help.

Non-traditional Student Responses

In addition to asking questions that are easier to respond to, teachers can also let beginner students communicate responses in non-verbal ways. Even though it is important to give beginners frequent chances to practice producing language in the English classroom, mixing in some non-verbal activities can have positive effects. The following non-verbal strategies can be used with any of the question formats described above. These strategies can take away some of the pressure that beginners often feel when speaking English, and successful communication, even if non-verbal, can motivate students.

Hand Signals: Students can respond to yes/no questions by using a hand signal such as the “thumbs up” for yes or “thumbs down” for no. Hand signals can also be used to show agreement or disagreement with a statement, or to indicate whether something is true or false.

If asking students to make a choice between multiple options, designate a number for each option. Then students can indicate their answer choice by holding up one, two, or three fingers, etc. As mentioned in the earlier discussion about multiple-choice questions, do not give beginners too many choices at first.

Stand Up/Sit Down: When responding to questions with two answer options, students can stand or sit to indicate their response. Similar to hand signals, this strategy can be used for yes/no questions, true/false questions, agree/disagree statements, or either/or questions.

Move to the Answer: This strategy also uses the full body to respond. Designate different areas of the classroom for different responses. For example, divide the classroom in half and designate sides as yes/no, true/false, agree/disagree, etc. To respond to the question, students move to the side that indicates their response. This strategy can also be used for reviewing content that lends itself to two different categories or topics.

As students become more proficient, the corners of the room can be used, and thus the number of responses can be increased. For example, if using multiple-choice questions, label the corners A, B, C, and D. This technique can also be used to help students “sort” information into up to four different categories.

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This webinar, "Cultivating Your English Vocabulary through STEM Activities," features vocabulary-teaching techniques grounded in a content-based instruction approach. Specifically, instruction will include how teachers can produce STEM-related language activities in the classroom, including instructional language about sustainable agriculture and gardening, global issues and critical thinking.

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Forum, Porcaro
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