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Level

Intermediate to Advanced

Language Focus

Speaking, listening (primary focus); reading (secondary focus)

Goals

Students will increase their reported speech skills through role play activities centered on the game Trace Effects.

Materials

  • Teacher: whiteboard/chalkboard, markers or chalk, computer and projector, computer lab if possible, copies of Trace Effects (online or DVD version). Copies of the Trace Effects Chapter 1 comics, which can be found in the downloads section of this webpage.
  • Students: pencils or pens, notebooks or writing paper.

Preparation

This week’s Teacher’s Corner uses the video game Trace Effects to practice reported speech. Trace Effects, like other video games, requires players to solve problems using the information provided. Gathering information in Trace Effects requires asking questions and listening to the answers. This question and answer format makes it an effective way for students to practice reported speech.

This week’s Teacher’s Corner provides a series of activities centered on Trace Effects to help students practice reported speech. If you have never played Trace Effects, you can find it here.

  1. Read through all the materials carefully.
  2. These activities are best used in a computer lab, if possible. Have students work on the computers in pairs or small groups.
  3. The fourth activity is an information gap using Chapter 1 of the Trace Effects Comic book. When students are paired for the activity, one student will have the regular version of the comic and his/her partner will have a special version of the same comic. This special version will have some of the text missing. Both are included in the “Downloads” section of this week’s Teacher’s Corner web page.

Procedures

Trace Telephone – Pairs or Small Groups

1.     Before class, ensure that each computer has a set of headphones.

2.     Have the students form pairs or small groups. Each pair or small group should have a computer on which to work.

3.     Next, have the students go to the webpage Trace Effects. If your school has DVD copies of Trace Effects, or the game is installed on school computers, have the students use that version.

4.     Provide each student a role during gameplay: one student (the controller) should control the mouse and keyboard, while a second student (the reporter) listens to the audio in the headphones.

a.     If playing in small groups, the third student can be the “grammar checker.” Their job is to listen to what they reporter tells the controller and check the reported speech that the reporter uses.

5.     Let the groups begin a game of Trace Effects. The player with the headphones must communicate the responses of the other characters to their partner or group.

a.     If playing as a whole class, have one student come to the front of the class to be the reporter. The remainder of the class can shout out/vote for what should be selected next in the dialogue chain.

Trace Telephone – Class Version

1.     If a computer lab is not available, a similar activity to the one above can be conducted as a whole class.

2.     In this version of the activity, one student works as the controller of the game while another student uses the headphones to listen to the audio.

3.     Taking turns, students come to the front of the class and put on the headphones. The student must listen to the dialogue from the NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) and change the speech they hear to reported speech. Using reported speech, they must tell the class what they heard.

4.     If the student uses reported speech successfully, they continue to be the class reporter. If the student does not use the correct reported speech, the reporter must sit down and a new student comes to the front of the class to assume the role.

a.     Optional: When a student reports the dialogue incorrectly, they can take over controlling the game.

5.     The student who correctly reports the dialogue the most number of times in a row wins!

Trace Summary – Chapter 2

Reported speech is regularly used when summarizing an event or telling a story. In this activity, students will report on the events of Trace Effects Chapter 2.

1.     Place students into pairs or small groups. These pairs/small groups will work together to complete Trace Effects Chapter 2.

2.     Have the students play Chapter 2 of the game.

a.     While students play the chapter, have them take notes about the events in the game.

  • Encourage them to take notes on who Trace talks to and what the characters say to Trace.

b.     If students are playing in pairs or small groups, have them take turns at the controls. This chapter of Trace Effects has two scenes: the farmers’ market and a high school. Students can switch turns on the controls when the scene changes.

3.     Once students have completed the chapter, have them provide a summary of the chapter in the form of a story. For example:

Trace asked the woman at the tomato booth if she was Emma Fields. The woman said no and told Trace to ask the people at the corn booth.

4.     Depending on the level of the students, the summary can be presented in class as a spoken activity, or students can take their notes home and write a summary to be presented in class the following day.

Trace Effects – Comic Book

This activity is best completed after students have played Trace Effects Chapter 1. This activity can also benefit from being conducted in a computer lab if possible.

1.     Have the students form pairs of A and B.

2.     Give half the students (student A) copies of the Trace Effects Chapter 1 – Blanks comic book included with this activity.

3.     Give the other half of the class (student B) a copy of the Trace Effects Chapter 1 comic.

4.     Instruct student A to fill in the blanks in their comic by asking student B what was said by the characters with the missing text. Student B should give the missing lines using reported speech. Student A should listen to the reported speech and convert it to direct speech and fill in the words missing in the speech bubbles.

  • Note: to extend the activity and give both students in the pair the opportunity to work with reported speech, hand out only half of the comic (pages 3-5) to the students. Then, once the pairs have completed those pages, have them switch roles and to complete the second half of the comic (pages 6-8).
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Activity 3
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Trace Effects Chapter 1 - Original
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Trace Effects Chapter 1 - Blanks
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This webinar, “Student-Centered Classroom Management: Addressing Classroom Issues with 5 Adaptable Forms,” examines classroom management and student-centered classrooms before discussing five adaptable forms participants can use to manage activities in their own classrooms. The presenter will explain how and why to use each form and additional classroom management resources will be shared.

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Additional Resources - Forum Articles
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Minimizing the Chaos
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Alex discusses her family’s Thanksgiving celebration and the traditional foods they eat on Thanksgiving Day.

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This webinar, “Using Group Work Effectively to Increase Student Speaking Time in Class” explores several new warm-up activities and grouping strategies. The activities and strategies can be used to introduce or review lesson content and provide strategic opportunities for students to practice speaking in class.

Author: Rebecca Wilner Format: Text, Video
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Using Group Work Effectively to Increase Student Speaking Time in Class
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Towards Better Group Work: Seeing the Difference between Cooperation and Collaboration (Forum Article)
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What Do We Want Small Group Activities for? Voices from EFL Teachers in Japan (TESL-EJ Article)
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This webinar, "Hey Kids! Let's Put on a Show! Theater in the English Language Classroom,” focuses on how to use theater in the classroom--from developing short, theater-based activities to putting on a student show. Danielle will answer key questions, such as these: 1. How do I choose a dramatic text for my students? 2. What language activities could I do with that text? 3. How do I cast and direct a student show? By the end of this webinar, viewers will have an enhanced understanding of using both small- and large-scale theater projects in your classroom.
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Level

Low-Intermediate to Advanced

Language Focus

Speaking, listening (primary focus); writing (secondary focus)

Goals

Students will practice using reported speech through discussing gossip and rumors.

Materials

  • Teacher: whiteboard/chalkboard, markers or chalk, “Two Truths” Appendix 1.
  • Students: pencils or pens, notebooks or writing paper.

Preparation

This week’s Teacher’s Corner is using a variation on the game “Two Truths and a Lie”. The game is simple; each player tells two facts that are true and one that is a lie. The other players must correctly guess which one of the three statements is a lie. In this variation of the game, students will write their statements down on a sheet of paper, trade them with other students, and then use reported speech to share these statements with the class.

  1. Read through all the materials carefully.
  2. Print out the “Two Truths and a Lie” cards in Appendix 1. Make enough copies so that each student in class has a statement card.
    Note: If playing multiple rounds, print enough copies so each student has one card per game.
  3. Each game will have five rounds. In the first round, student A will talk to his/her partner, reporting on the statements. Their partner (student B) will choose the statement they believe is a lie. Student A will then note on their card student B’s choice in the “Vote for a Lie” table at the bottom of their card. The pair of students will repeat this process for student B’s card. Once both students have noted their partner’s vote, they will find new partners and repeat the process. Once each student has talked to five other students and registered the votes, the game is over.
  4. After students have played two rounds and have become familiar with the game, encourage them to expand the game to include statements about their favorite celebrities and/or sports stars. For example a student may write:

Lionel Messi has won eight La Liga titles.

Lionel Messi plays for Real Madrid.

Lionel Messi has won three European Golden Shoes.

Procedures

Part 1 – Two Truths and a Lie Statements Cards

  1. Tell the students to think about two facts and one untrue fact about themselves. Encourage the students to think carefully so that the lie is difficult to detect!
  2. Next, pass out the “Two Truths and a Lie” statement card to the students.
  3. Have the students write down their name at the top of the card and their three statements in the numbered spaces provided.
    Note: Remind students to mix up their statements. If each student writes the lie as the third statement, the game will become predictable!

Part 2 – “Did you know that…?”

  1. Next, have each student switch their card with a classmate so that each student now has another student’s card.
  2. Instruct the students to read the card and convert the statements to reported speech. 
    For example: Susan writes, “I went to America”, so John should change it to, “Susan said that she has gone to America. 
    Note: When gossiping in English, the beginning of a sentence is typically altered to make the news more exciting. For example, instead of “Susan said that…” the sentence may begin with a phrase such as, “Did you hear that…”or “Do you think that…” or “I heard that…” While lower level classes may need to practice the more formal structures, more advanced students can use these more informal phrases.
  3. Next, have the students stand up and find a partner. They can choose any partner except the person who has their original card (and whose card they now have).
  4. Each student should report the information on the card to their partner. After hearing the three statements, their partner should guess which one is the lie. Each student should mark down their partner’s guess at the bottom of their card.
  5. Have the students switch and find a new partner and repeat the process.
  6. After five rounds, have the students find the classmate whose card they have. Have the students share the results with their partner.
    Note: If time permits, have students volunteer to share their results with the class. Which student had the most believable lie?

Optional Activity

If time permits, have the students play another round. This time, have them create statements about each other or their favorite celebrities or sports stars.

Appendix 1: Two Truths and a Lie

Name:

Facts About Me:

1.

2.

3.

Votes for Lie:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

Facts About Me:

1.

2.

3.

Votes for Lie:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

Facts About Me:

1.

2.

3.

Votes for Lie:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

Facts About Me:

1.

2.

3.

Votes for Lie:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

Facts About Me:

1.

2.

3.

Votes for Lie:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

Facts About Me:

1.

2.

3.

Votes for Lie:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Activity 2
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In this interview, Trevor talks taking a class trip that included going to a museum to learn about the pirate Blackbird.

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Level

Low-Intermediate to Advanced

Language Focus

Speaking, listening (primary focus); writing (secondary focus)

Goals

Students will increase their understanding of reported speech through a matching and interview activity.

Materials

  • Teacher: whiteboard/chalkboard, markers or chalk, a timing device, a world map for reference, match-up cards (Appendix 1), reported speech interviews worksheet (Appendix 2).
  • Students: pencils or pens, notebooks or writing paper.

Preparation

This week’s Teacher’s Corner introduces students to the grammatical structures in reported speech. Students will practice matching direct speech to reported speech and then practice changing direct speech to reported speech via interviews with fellow students.

1.     Read through all the materials carefully.

2.     Print one copy of the reported speech match-up cards found in Appendix 1 for the class activity. For larger classes, multiple copies may be needed.

  • There are 39 cards in total. For smaller classes, the match-up activity can be completed in rounds – first the verb tenses and then the modals.

3.     Once the match-up cards have been printed, cut them into individual cards. These cards are in three categories: verb tense (x13 cards), direct speech (x13 cards), and reported speech (x13 cards).

4.     For the interview activity, print enough of the reported speech interviews worksheets in Appendix 2 so that each student has a copy. These print outs do not need to be cut into individual cards.

 

Procedures

Part 1 – Reported Speech Match Up

1.     Begin the class activity by having the students stand up and mix themselves around.

2.     Next, give each student one of the 39 cards found in Appendix 1.

  • Students should keep their card hidden at the start and not show it to their classmates.
  • Instruct the students that when you say “Go!” they should move around the room and match their card with the correct cards held by other students.
  • Once they find the students with the matching cards, they should stand in a group.

Note: Students will end up forming groups of three – one student with the verb tense card, one with the direct speech card, and one with the reported speech card. For example:

        Student #1                            Student #2                                                Student #3

present simple

I enjoy reading.”

He said (that) he enjoyed reading.

3.     Yell “Go!” and have the students mingle and find the students with the correct cards.

4.     Once all of the groups of students have been formed, have them read their card aloud to the rest of class. Have them begin with the verb tense, then the direct speech, and then the reported speech.

5.     Once finished, have the students turn in their cards, mix them up and then play again. Play as many rounds as time permits.

Part 2 – Interviews

1.     Have the students sit down. The first portion of this activity is individual work, so they do not need to sit with a partner or group.

2.     Give each student a copy of the reported speech interviews worksheets found in Appendix 2.

3.     Have the students read through the sheet. Ask them if they have any questions before beginning the writing portion of the activity.

4.     Next, instruct the students to choose 10 out of the 13 possible verb tenses or modals. The students then write 10 questions using the verb tenses or modals that they selected.

  • Students should write their questions in the left column under Verb Tenses. For example:

Verb Tense

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

present simple

Do you like to read?

    

5.     After the students have written their questions, have them find a partner.

6.     Once the students are in pairs, organize each pair into student A or student B.

7.     Student A begins by asking their questions to student B. When student B answers, student A should write down the answer under the column Direct Speech.

8.     Once student A is finished asking questions, have the pair switch roles: Student B asks questions and student A answers the questions. Student B should write down student A’s answers in the Direct Speech column as well.

9.     After the interviews have been completed, have the students return to their seats. Now, each student should take the answers provided by their partner and convert them to reported speech. Instruct them to write down the reported speech in the column on their worksheet labeled Reported Speech.

Part 3 – Information Sharing

1.     Once students have converted their partner’s direct speech to reported speech, have them stand up and find a new partner.

2.     With their new partner, have the students share the answers provided by their previous partner. Circulate around the room to ensure that students are using reported speech.

  • For more advanced classes, have them also use reported speech to report the questions they asked as well. For example: Susan: “I asked Robert if he likes to read. Roberto said he enjoys reading mystery stories.”

3.     Once each student has reported on the answers of their previous partner, bring the class back together. If time permits, have the students share the answers with the rest of the class.

Appendix 1: Reported Speech Match-Up

Verb Tenses

Verb Tense

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

present simple

I enjoy reading.”

He said (that) he enjoyed reading.

past simple

I traveled to New York City.”

She said (that) she had traveled to New York City.

present continuous

I am studying English at school.”

She said (that) she was studying English at school.

past continuous

I was talking with my friend.”

He said (that) he had been talking with his friend.

present perfect

I have not been to a baseball game.”

He said (that) he had not been to a baseball game.

past perfect

I had visited America before starting university.”

She said (that) she had visited America before starting university.

Modals

will

I will visit her after class.”

She said (that) she would visit her after class.

would

I would help you, but I need to study for exams.”

He said (that) he would help me, but he needed to study for exams.

can

I can play football with you tomorrow.”

She said (that) she could play football with us tomorrow.

could

I could ride a bicycle when I was eight years old.”

He said (that) he could ride a bicycle when he was eight years old.

should

I should study for the test tomorrow.”

She said (that) she should study for the test tomorrow.

might

I might not go to the party tomorrow.

He said (that) he might not go to the party tomorrow.

must

I must improve my English before I travel to Chicago.

She said she had to improve her English before she traveled to Chicago.

Appendix 2: Reported Speech Interviews

Verb Tenses

Verb Tense

Direct Speech

Reported Speech

present simple

 

  

past simple

 

 

 

present continuous

 

  

past continuous

 

  

present perfect

 

  

past perfect

 

  

 

Modals

will

 

  

would

 

  

can

 

  

could

 

  

should

 

  

might

 

  

must

 

  

 

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So far this month in the Teacher’s Corner, we have discussed how to use learning teams, stations, teacher-supported groups, and leveled assignments to address some of the most common challenges in English language classrooms. In addition to working in large, multi-level classes, many teachers and students around the world must try to teach and learn with limited access to materials.  

With the demand for English classes growing, some teachers are not provided with enough textbooks or resources for the students in their classes. Using learning teams can help alleviate a shortage of materials by allowing students to share the items needed to complete a task. Learning stations and teacher-supported groups can also reduce the number of students that need to use books or other materials at the same time. This week, we will consider some specific ways to provide effective instruction and plan engaging activities with limited teaching materials.

Teaching with Songs

Songs are a great way to teach English to students of all ages. Music is not only fun and engaging, but singing songs also helps learners remember phrases or key information.

An easy way to help your students learn from music is to write songs about the content you are teaching. Type out the lyrics and make copies for students, or project them in your classroom. Alternatively, write the lyrics on paper large enough for learners to see, or have students copy the lyrics from the board into their notebooks. Songs should include key vocabulary, verb tenses, or other concepts you want students to review. Frequently practice the songs so that your students will remember the information. As an extension, challenge students to work in groups and write their own songs as a way to reinforce the topic. When students have finished, each group can perform for the class and even teach their song to others.

Popular music is another great teaching tool. Popular songs often contain words and phrases that can be extracted to demonstrate collocations, verb tenses, or vocabulary related to a specific topic. Songs can also teach about values, social issues, and common themes. Many popular songs can be accessed on the internet via artist websites, YouTube, or streaming services such as Pandora or Spotify. These can be played with a computer or mobile device in your classroom. Additionally, you can download songs, lyrics, and teaching tips from the Sing Out Loud American Rhythms collection on the American English website. For more great ideas about how to use songs in the classroom, see the English Teaching Forum article Beyond the Gap Fill: Dynamic Activities for Song in the EFL Classroom.

Skits and Reader’s Theater

Skits and reader’s theater are easy activities to implement and do not require many materials. Learners will need pencils and paper to create a script. Props and costumes can be used, but are certainly not required. Both of these activities are completed in a group and require learners to use all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

A skit is a short performance depicting a situation where students interact with and speak to one another. You can use skits to review any content that you have taught. Skits are useful to help students practice everyday interactions in English or more specific skills such as key vocabulary, verb tenses, or other concepts. You can determine characters, roles, and write a script for a skit yourself, or have students complete these steps in groups. As a scaffold, you can work with your class to create a list of useful phrases or words related to the topic on the board before they begin. Once students have had time to practice, have each group perform for the rest of the class.

Reader’s theater is similar to a skit, but the script depicts a story or is adapted from a text. Reader’s theater is a great way to build reading fluency, increase vocabulary, and teach students to read with expression. There are many pre-made reader’s theater scripts available in books or online. You can find reader’s theater scripts on Dr. Chase Young’s website and Teaching Heart’s Reader’s Theater page. These scripts can be used by dividing your class into groups with the appropriate number of characters, allowing students to practice, and then having groups perform the reader’s theater for the class. If your students study a text in class, you can also create your own script based on the events in the text. If students are more advanced, they can write and perform their own reader’s theater scripts. Each group can be assigned a different part of the text to portray in their reader’s theater performance. Again, props and costumes can be added but are not necessary. For more ideas about how to implement reader’s theater in your classroom, take a look at the Shaping the Way We Teach English Webinar Introduction to Reader’s Theater for EFL Classrooms.

Games

Many familiar games can be adapted for the purpose of practicing English. Here are some easy ways to use games that do not require a lot of materials in your classroom.

Charades: This is a game where one person performs actions in front of a group and the audience must try to guess what the actor is trying to convey. The actor must not speak or give any clues. It can be played by the whole class (split into competing teams), or in small groups of students with each person taking a turn to act something out. If there are specific words you want students to practice, prepare a set of word cards for actors to choose from before playing the game.   

To practice verb tenses, have the actor(s) perform action verbs. Require audience members to use a particular tense in their guesses. For example, if your class is learning past continuous, students must say, “You were ________ing” to the actor. If they are learning future continuous, they say “You will be ________ing” or “You are going to be ________ing.”

Charades can also be used to practice vocabulary words. Feelings/emotions, animals, types of weather, words related to daily routines, sports, adjectives that describe people, and other similar categories work well for playing charades.

Guess the Picture: This game is similar to charades, but rather than acting, the student draws pictures to try to get the audience to guess a word. This can be done on the chalkboard or whiteboard, on paper, with chalk on pavement, or by drawing in sand or dirt with a stick. The student who is drawing must not speak or give any clues, and also cannot use any letters/words or numbers in the drawing.

Playing Pictionary can practice the same concepts and skills described above for use with charades. Require students to guess using a specific tense or structure that they have learned and that you want them to practice.

Card Games: There are many games and activities that can be played using only index cards. Each time you present a new concept or new vocabulary in class, create a set of cards that students can use for different activities such as the ones described below.

Matching - Students can play concentration or you can distribute the cards and have students find a classmate with a match by moving around the room. This activity works well with vocabulary words and definitions, synonyms and antonyms, and regular or irregular verbs in two different tenses (such as present and past).

Sorting - Students can use cards to sort words into categories such as parts of speech, verb tenses, or synonyms and antonyms. Vocabulary words related to different topics like weather, occupations, foods, or sports can also be great for sorting.

Activate Games for Learning American English - The American English website features a collection of free board games that can be printed and used in your classroom. The games have different themes and offer students a chance to practice different language skills, even if they play more than once. To use the games in your classroom, you will need dice and game pieces. For ideas about materials to use, watch the Teaching Tip that goes with this resource.

Student-Created Materials

Students can also get involved in creating materials for use in your classroom. Many of the suggested activities for learning teams from Week 1 of this month’s Teacher’s Corner will result in posters, advertisements, stories, poems, or scripts that you can use to teach or display in your classroom for reference. Another idea is to have students create vocabulary charts with words, definitions, pictures, and example sentences. These can be displayed and used throughout the course. Lists or charts can also be made for parts of speech, question words, sentence starters, or any other concepts you want students to remember.

Creating materials also helps students review and process what they have learned. A great way to engage students with creating materials is to have them design worksheets or quizzes for their classmates. This often motivates learners because they have a chance to fulfill a different role. You can do this in your classroom if you use learning teams, or with small groups of 2-3 students. Tell each team or group that they must design a worksheet or quiz with a specific number of questions based on the topic you want students to review. They can include things like multiple choice questions, true/false questions, fill in the blank, short answer, riddles, crossword puzzles, or any other type of exercise that suits the topic. Also have students create an answer key. Then, have groups exchange worksheets or quizzes with a different group. When they are complete, groups return their work to the students who created the activity for assessment.

For more ideas about how to get your students involved in creating materials, try the article Encouraging Learners to Create Language-Learning Materials from English Teaching Forum.

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In this interview, Michael talks about playing sports with his friends, fishing, and living in Switzerland.

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