Advanced Search: Resources

1. Reading to Speak: Integrating Oral Communication Skills

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   Although students want to practice speaking English, they do not have many opportunities to do so in the Chinese EFL system. This often results in something called 'mute English.' This article suggests a greater integration of skills through reading to speak activities. The author includes activities for reading to act, reading to debate, and reading to interview. These activities move students away from a focus on form, allowing students to be creative and build fluency.

2. Near-Peer Tutoring in an ESOL Music Project

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 2 Format(s): Text

   This article describes how near-peer tutoring was used to foster a supportive, learner-centered environment in an adult ESOL setting. Students from beginning and advanced classes worked together to learn a song to perform at a year-end ceremony. The task involved vocabulary, pronunciation, intonation, and comprehension. Benefits of the music project included building relationships, breaking the routine, and lowering students’ affective filters. The project allowed the adults to be self-directed, empowered them to critique themselves, and gave them a sense of accomplishment.

3. Using Comic Strips in Language Classes

   In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   The author believes that using comic strips in language-learning classes has three main benefits. First, comic strips motivate younger learners. Second, they provide a context and logically connected sentences to help language learning. Third, their visual information is helpful for comprehension. The author argues that comic strips can be used in exercises of reading and other skills areas. The author provides four activities that use comic strips.

4. Houseboats

   In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This lesson uses a text about the houseboats of Kashmir to give students practice with descriptions, compound words, and participles. The lesson plan could be adapted to tourist destinations familiar to the students. Students are asked to write a description of their homes and create a tourism brochure for their own cities or towns.

5. Wordscapes

   Format(s): Image / Poster / Maps

   Wordscapes is a collection of ten full-color illustrations of American landscapes, including the forest, plains, desert, and more.

6. NASCAR: An American Sport and Pastime

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article, written for students, is about NASCAR, a popular auto racing sport in the United States. It offers the history of the sport, interesting pictures, and a piece on the importance of a pit crew. There is also a profile of Jeff Gordon, a popular and winning driver. Also included are a list of NASCAR vocabulary and websites of interest, an overview of the sport and its rules, and information on three legendary drivers.

7. Quilting: An American Craft

   In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This is an introduction to an American craft: quilting. The passage introduces what quilting is and different types of quilts. It also talks about the meaning of quilts and how they are used in American society.

8. Article with Activity: More Women Are Needed in Technology Fields

   In: VOA Articles with Activities Format(s): Website

   Test Your Academic Vocabulary! Listen to and read the article. Then, test your vocabulary with activities and exercises. Level: Advanced

9. Learn American English Wordbook Glossary

   In: VOA Interactive Learning: Wordbooks Format(s): Website

   Discover English with nearly 1,000 words and their definitions. Open the Interactive Wordbooks to hear English words and their definitions.

10. Applying Metacognitive Strategies to Skimming Research Articles in an ESP Context

    In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 1 Format(s): Text

    The article focuses on explaining to post-secondary teachers how to teach their students to use metacognitive strategies to skim research articles in specialized fields. The author briefly explains metacognitive strategies in reading tasks and discusses the importance of strategy training and having a purpose in reading. The author then describes a lesson plan that includes a presentation and a three-step guided practice. The author concludes by emphasizing reading strategy training in an ESP context.

Pages