Advanced Search: Resources

1. VOA American Stories

   Format(s): MP3, Website

   Voice of America's weekly multimedia series of American short stories for English language learners. Each story will have video,audio, quizzes, and a lesson plan for teachers.

2. VOA: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

   In: VOA American Stories Format(s): MP3, Video, Website

   In the U.S., October is famous for Halloween. One way to celebrate this holiday is by reading or listening to a famous spooky American classic via Voice of America. There’s even a lesson plan for teachers!

3. The Exquisite Corpse Adventure

   Format(s): Website

   The Exquisite Corpse is a friendly game that allows you to make a creative story. Read and listen along to a series of 27 free exquisite corpse stories then learn how you can make one with your friends.

4. Using Songs to Teach English

   Format(s): MP3, Video

   This webinar, “Using Songs to Teach English” explores the myriad of ways songs and music can help create a classroom that is happy, interactive, and intellectually challenging. The presenter will introduce some effective techniques for incorporating music and song in the EFL and ESL classroom.

5. The Lighter Side of TEFL: Shaggy Dog Stories

   In: The Lighter Side of TEFL, Volume 1 Format(s): Text

   This section of The Lighter Side of TEFL focuses on shaggy dog stories, which are long-winded tales that gradually work up to a surprise ending. This section has an audio component.

6. A Lesson Plan Speaking (and Writing) of Sports

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan offers several sports-related photographs and classroom activities that use the pictures for individual, pair, or group work. The activities include a sentence-combination task, structured writing questions, open-ended writing tasks, a charting task, and questions for a whole-class discussion. The author gives suggestions for making the tasks easier or more difficult for multiple levels.

7. The Time is Now

   In: American Rhythms Format(s): MP3

   Travis Haddix’s song 'The Time is Now' is another soul-searching examples of blues music. Download this song or listen online.

8. Champion

   In: American Rhythms Format(s): MP3

   In this song, Hawaiian singer and pastor David “Kawika” Kahiapo plays the slack key guitar (ki ho’alu). Download the song or listen online.

9. Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

   In: American Rhythms Format(s): Text

   Jazz musician Kermit Ruffins performs along with a talented group of children in Breakfast Lunch and Dinner. Download the song and classroom activities.

10. First Road to Learning: Language through Stories

    In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 2 Format(s): Text

    This article discusses the benefits of using stories in language teaching and ideas of how to use stories in the classroom. The authors believe that stories can help solve the problems caused by limited resources and are good ways to teach culture. They describe types of stories and how they can be used in teaching speaking, listening, reading, writing, integrated skills, and critical thinking.

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